Maccabi Tel Aviv: What has the chief executive of the Israeli club and Uefa said - after fans banned from Europa League Aston Villa match

West Midlands Police have said they had classified the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture as high risk based on “current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Uefa Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam”. Violent clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli fans erupted around the Uefa Europa League football match between Dutch club Ajax and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv last year.

Five men were given prison sentences and more than 60 people were detained in the riots, which prompted accusations of deliberate antisemitic attacks. Uefa, which runs the Europa League, urged UK authorities to make sure Maccabi Tel Aviv fans could attend the match in Birmingham.

In a statement, it said: “Uefa wants fans to be able to travel and support their team in a safe, secure and welcoming environment, and encourages both teams and the competent authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow this to happen.” On Thursday evening, the Prime Minister condemned the decision, writing on X: “This is the wrong decision.

“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.”

Jack Angelides, chief executive of Maccabi Tel Aviv, said he was not sure if the banning of his team’s fans was a decision or a recommendation. Asked about what he thought of the move, assuming it had been formally made, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “To be frank, it’s met with some dismay about what this potentially is signalling.

“We understand the reasons that have been put to us which are to do with the feeling that the authorities will not be able to adequately protect our fans who would be attending the match.” Mr Angelides said he tries to avoid interfering in how other countries should behave.

He added: “But I do think this is an extremely important moment because of what it signifies. I don’t use this term lightly but people ask ‘what does antisemitism look like?’ And it’s often manifested as part of a process, a process in other words small events leading up to something that’s more sinister.”

The chief executive of Maccabi Tel Aviv said he did not want to take security issues lightly but said the team has travelled to places such as Turkey where he said the sentiment is “not so kind towards Israeli teams” but the police “were out in force” and there were no incidents. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Jack Angelides said: “So I do find it somewhat difficult to understand why this has come to pass in the sense that our fans cannot be secure in attending this match.

“And also begs the question a little bit to be honest – well, there is a delegation coming of management, of players, and all the supporting staff, are we saying that they will be secure also or that there are issues with them?” Asked if he thinks they will be secure, Mr Angelides said he trusts in the authorities and has not heard anything that has suggested they would not be.

He said there would normally be well over a thousand Maccabi fans expected at the game. Senior Government figures will meet on Friday to “see if there’s a way through” a ban on Israeli fans attending a football match in Birmingham, a minister has said.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Home Office officials will be among those meeting.