The decision to stop fans of Israeli football club Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a Europa League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham has caused uproar.
While banning fans from matches is not unprecedented, the fallout is – with Sir Keir Starmer among those criticising the move, and going so far as gathering senior ministers to see if there is a way to reverse the decision.
It comes as government efforts to stamp out antisemitism have been in the spotlight after the terrorist attack at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester that left two men dead.
Follow the latest in the Politics Hub
Why have Maccabi fans been banned?
In a statement on Thursday, Aston Villa said Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) – which issues safety certificates for every match at the ground – had “formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend” the fixture at Villa Park on 6 November.
The club said the safety group based its recommendation on a number of “physical and safety factors”.
West Midlands Police also said they have classified the Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture as high risk based on “current intelligence and previous incidents”.
The force said it believed the measure would help mitigate risks to public safety.
What has the reaction been?
The move has been condemned by political and Jewish leaders, including Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar, who called it a “shameful decision”.
The Jewish Leadership Council said it was “perverse” to ban away fans because police can’t guarantee their safety, adding: “Aston Villa should face the consequences of this decision and the match should be played behind closed doors.”
On Thursday, Sir Keir said on X that it was the “wrong decision” to stop Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the match in Birmingham.
The prime minister wrote: “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.
“The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described it as a “national disgrace”.
But the decision was praised by Ayoub Khan, an independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, who launched a petition to ban Maccabi fans from the game.
He said from the moment the match was announced there were “latent safety risks”.
In a statement on X, he wrote: “With so much hostility and uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures.
“Sports entertainment events should be enjoyed by all, regardless of their race, ethnicity and background. But there are rare instances where the political dynamics surrounding such spectacles cannot be ignored, and where drastic action must be taken to ensure the safety of fans, players, staff and local residents.”
What have football leaders said?
UEFA, which runs the Europa League, said it wanted fans to be able to travel and support their team in a “safe, secure and welcoming environment”.
It added that it “encourages both teams and the competent authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow this to happen”.
Jack Angelides, the chief executive of Maccabi Tel Aviv, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he does not take security issues lightly, but said his team had travelled to other places where the sentiment was “not so kind towards Israeli teams” but where police “were out in force” and there were no incidents.
He also said it raises the question of whether there are security concerns for Maccabi Tel Aviv’s players, management and supporting staff, but added he has not heard anything to suggest they would not be safe.
Andrew Fox, honorary president of Aston Villa Jewish Villans supporters’ club, claimed the decision is “a political message rather than a safety message”.
What happened previously to influence this decision?
West Midlands Police said they partly based their decision about next month’s match on what happened last year, when violent clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli fans erupted around the UEFA Europa League football match between Dutch club Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Five men were given prison sentences and more than 60 people were detained in the riots, which were denounced as antisemitic by Dutch authorities and foreign leaders, including Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Maccabi fans were also filmed at the time tearing a Palestinian flag off a building in Amsterdam, setting another on fire and chanting anti-Arab slogans on their way to the stadium.
Are football fans often banned from games?
Yes, this is not an unprecedented action to take.
As recently as last month, Ajax supporters were banned from travelling to Marseille for their Champions League fixture against Olympique Marseille.
The French interior ministry issued a decree forbidding any travel by people claiming to be Ajax fans by road, rail, air, or sea into Marseille. The ban was justified by authorities on grounds of public safety, citing a history of violent behaviour among some travelling supporters and longstanding animosity between fans of the two clubs.
Eintracht Frankfurt fans will also be banned from a Champions League match at Napoli on 4 November.
The Prefect of Naples, citing advice from the city police and a provincial public-order committee, prohibited the sale of any tickets to residents of Frankfurt for the match. This decision was based on concerns about public safety, in particular because of past violent incidents between the two clubs’ supporters.
“Unfortunately, we have to accept the fact that the strategy of excluding away fans from high-risk Italian football matches – both domestic and European – has become common practice,” Philipp Reschke, an Eintracht board member, said of the decision.
Last year, Sky News’ Adam Parsons explored football ultras and found the number of arrests at football matches in England and Wales reached a nine-year high in 2022-23, with a total of 2,264, according to Home Office figures. This has since decreased to 1,932 in 2024-2025.
Read more:
Stopping Israeli fans from going to match raises serious question
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Could the decision be reversed?
In short, yes.
West Midlands police and crime commissioner Simon Foster called for Birmingham council officials and West Midlands Police to review the decision on Friday morning.
He said the purpose of the review is to “determine whether or not this decision and recommendation is appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and proportionate”.
Senior government figures are also expected to meet on Friday to “see if there’s a way through” a ban on Israeli fans attending a football match in Birmingham, culture department minister Ian Murray told Sky News.
Mr Murray said: “It’s just completely and utterly unacceptable, and the prime minister has said we will do everything we possibly can to resolve this issue.
“It’s an operational issue for the police, and government doesn’t get involved in operational issues for the police.
“But I know the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will be meeting with the Home Office and other stakeholders today to try and see if there’s a way through this.”
