Maccabi Tel Aviv will not accept Villa tickets

Should Aston Villa decide to outlaw their supporters from the upcoming Europa League game, Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv say they will not accept any ticket donations from them.

Villa was informed last week that no travelling fans would be permitted at the game in Birmingham by the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy rebuffed the decision, promising that the government would “find the resources” to allow Maccabi fans to attend earlier on Monday.

However, supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv are now being prevented from traveling for safety reasons.

According to a club statement, “We have made the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context.” “The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount.

We anticipate that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play sports in Birmingham in the near future.

According to West Midlands Police, the match was “high risk” on Thursday, according to information released on Thursday, including violent clashes and hate crimes committed between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans before a game in Amsterdam in November 2024.

Nandy claimed that if West Midlands Police changed its risk assessment, ministers would work together to fund any necessary policing operation to allow away fans to attend.

Nandy claimed that the incident occurred “in response to an attack on a synagogue in Manchester in which two innocent men were killed” and that it was “more significant than matchday security.”

Before kick-off, the Israeli Premier League game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was postponed due to what police described as “public disorder and violent riots.”

Aston Villa’s matchday officials previously stated to their supporters that they were exempt from working at the Maccabi Tel Aviv game because they thought some “may have concerns.”