(Reuters) -No away supporters will be allowed to attend Aston Villa’s home Europa League clash with Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv on November 6 after police raised public safety concerns about potential protests, the Premier League club said on Thursday.
The move comes after there were protests at the Israel national team’s World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Italy, with police using tear gas on protesters and pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Oslo and Udine.
Villa said they were following instructions from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), who are responsible for issuing safety certificates for games at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.
PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS AT VILLA PARK
“Following a meeting this afternoon, the SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture,” Villa said in a statement.
“West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.
“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”
Reuters has contacted Maccabi Tel Aviv for comment.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the announcement.
“This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets,” Starmer said on X. “The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”
UEFA SAY ‘LOCAL AUTHORITIES REMAIN RESPONSIBLE’
UEFA said it wanted fans to be able to travel and support their team in a “safe, secure and welcoming environment”.
“(UEFA) encourages both teams and the competent authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow this to happen,” UEFA said.
“In all cases, the competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory, such decisions being determined on the basis of thorough risk assessments, which vary from match to match and take into consideration previous circumstances.”
Villa are third in the Europa League standings while Maccabi Tel Aviv are 30th after two rounds.
ISRAEL DECRY ‘SHAMEFUL DECISION’
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described Villa’s announcement as a “shameful decision” on X.
“I call on the UK authorities to reverse this coward decision,” Saar wrote.
Global soccer body FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has yet been taken, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino consistently saying such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
Earlier this month, FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani said Israel’s continued participation in international football has to be dealt with first and foremost by UEFA.
UEFA appeared poised for an emergency vote on suspending Israel from European competition last month but reportedly held off on a proposed vote following the announcement of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in the region.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Sam Tabahriti in LondonEditing by Toby Davis, Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar)
