Maccabi Tel Aviv will decline Europa tickets offered to away fans at Villa Park

By Jamie Gardner, PA Chief Sports Reporter

Maccabi Tel Aviv will decline any tickets offered to their fans for the Europa League match at Villa Park, the Israeli club have said.

The local Safety Advisory Group (SAG) opted last week to block visiting fans from attending the tie against Aston Villa on November 6 following a risk assessment by West Midlands Police, a decision that drew immediate criticism from politicians including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

There have been numerous calls for the decision to be reversed, but a statement on the Maccabi website on Monday evening read: “The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount and, from hard lessons learned, we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans, and our decision should be understood in that context.

“We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.”