BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans won't be allowed to attend a Europa League game at Aston Villa next month because of security concerns, the English club said Thursday.
Villa said in a statement that its local police force advised “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,” Villa said, “with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv visits Villa Park on Nov. 6. It will be the team's first away game in the Europa League since pro-Palestinian protests took place at the stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece when the club played PAOK on Sept. 24.
About 120 fans of the Israeli club traveled to Greece for that game and were held behind a police cordon before entering the venue.
The London-based Jewish Leadership Council called Thursday's decision unfair.
“It is perverse that away fans should be banned from a football match because West Midlands Police can’t guarantee their safety. Aston Villa should face the consequences of this decision and the match should be played behind closed doors,” the organization said in a statement.
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans clashed violently with city residents in Amsterdam last season when the team visited for a Europa League game against Ajax.
European soccer body UEFA had been weighing a vote to suspend Israeli teams from its competitions before that was overtaken this month by the ceasefire in Gaza.
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