Key Points

• Maccabi Tel Aviv fans banned from Aston Villa’s Europa League match amid safety concerns.
• Disturbances at a derby match led to its postponement, with both clubs pointing fingers.
• UK government recognizes police concerns but condemns any violence.

Derby Match Postponed, Fans Blamed

Maccabi Tel Aviv distanced themselves from disturbances that led to the postponement of their derby match against Hapoel before kick-off yesterday. According to Maccabi, their fans did not contribute to the game’s cancellation, with reports saying 51 flares or smoke bombs were thrown onto the pitch.

The Tel Aviv derby was called off before kick-off, with reports of smoke grenades and flares being thrown.

UK Government Reacts, Banned from Villa Match

The UK government supports the ban on Maccabi fans from the Europa League match against Aston Villa next month due to safety concerns. Starmer’s official spokesman stated that they “absolutely recognised” police concerns around previous incidents involving Maccabi in Europe.

“We acknowledge events over the last few days and we condemn any violent behaviour,” the spokesman added. The UK Football Policing Unit is reaching out to their Israeli counterparts to understand what happened at last night’s match in Tel Aviv.

Fare Network’s Stance, Maccabi’s Response

The Fare network, which reports incidents of discrimination to UEFA, said it was “reluctant to question” the decision to ban Maccabi fans but stated that Maccabi fans were “the biggest perpetrators of racism in Israeli football.”

Maccabi is aware of Fare’s comments but has not yet responded to the decision of the authorities in Birmingham to bar their supporters.

Ceasefire in Israel, Past Protests

The match at Villa Park takes place against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire to Israel’s war in Gaza, with previous Maccabi European away trips seeing opposition fans protest in solidarity with Palestinians.