The stage is set for one of the most heavily policed football matches in recent memory as Aston Villa prepare to host Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park in the UEFA Europa League on November 6, 2025. But the on-field action has been overshadowed by an unprecedented security operation, political controversy, and a divisive ban on away fans that has sent shockwaves through the football world.
More than 700 police officers, supported by horses, dogs, drones, and road policing units, will be deployed across Birmingham. The operation is in direct response to anticipated protests from both pro-Palestinian groups and Israeli supporters, with organizers expecting between 20,000 and 50,000 demonstrators outside the stadium. Section 60 powers, which allow police to stop and search people without reasonable grounds, will be in effect from midday Thursday until the early hours of Friday, covering a wide swath of the city. Some local schools have even announced early closures, underscoring the magnitude of the event.
The spark for this extraordinary security response? A decision by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) last month, backed by West Midlands Police, to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the match. The ban was based on a high-risk classification, with authorities citing “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.” During that Amsterdam fixture, Maccabi fans were accused of tearing down Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Arab abuse, while also being the victims of attacks that resulted in five local convictions.
Jack Angelides, chief executive of Maccabi Tel Aviv, has been vocal in his criticism of the ban and the narratives surrounding his club’s supporters. “It’s incredibly sad and I think it’s a concerning and a worrying sign,” Angelides told BBC Sport. “Politics should never be drawn into football.” He continued, “We have not been given a clear reason [for the ban], but I have seen people coming up with all sorts of stories of our fans, especially in Amsterdam, where there was, what the Amsterdam authorities themselves classified as ‘a Jew hunt’, being portrayed as organised fighters, soldiers, etc, etc. It’s just blatant falsehoods, and people who say those things know that they’re false and shame on them.”
Despite the ban, Angelides said the club would have declined any ticket allocation regardless, citing concerns for fan safety amid what he described as a climate of incitement. “We feared for the safety of our fans and it’s a huge responsibility,” he told Sky News. “With a lot of incitement, we didn’t feel comfortable in taking that allocation and that’s a sad day in football because things like that shouldn’t happen. People have the right to freedom of speech, absolutely, but people don’t have the right to spew hatred.”
The ban has not gone unchallenged. Simon Foster, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, has called for an immediate review of the decision, urging Birmingham City Council’s SAG and West Midlands Police to assess whether it is “appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.” Foster emphasized that “the safety and security of all the people and communities of the West Midlands, including visitors to the West Midlands,” is his top priority, but he also pressed for consideration of all suitable alternative options.
The issue has become a lightning rod for political debate, with opinions sharply divided. Zarah Sultana, a former Labour MP and now member of the Independent Alliance, and Ayoub Khan, MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, have both strongly supported the ban. Sultana called for UEFA to ban all Israeli teams from international competition, equating the situation to the sporting boycott of apartheid South Africa. Khan, who organized a petition to have the match canceled, relocated, or held behind closed doors, argued that the presence of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans posed both a safety risk and a moral dilemma given the ongoing conflict in Gaza. “There are two distinct issues. One is the safety aspect… The second aspect is a moral argument that Maccabi Tel Aviv should not even be playing in this international competition,” Khan stated in an interview with Newsnight.
On the other side, the decision has been condemned by a wide swath of political and community leaders. Emily Damari, a British-Israeli woman and Maccabi fan who was held hostage by Hamas for over 15 months, expressed her outrage: “I am shocked to my core with this outrageous decision to ban me, my family and my friends from attending an Aston Villa game in the UK. Football is a way of bringing people together irrespective of their faith, colour or religion and this disgusting decision does the exact opposite. Shame on you.”
British political leaders have also weighed in. Labour leader Keir Starmer called the ban “the wrong decision,” declaring, “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.” Kemi Badenoch, a senior Conservative, went further, calling the move “a national disgrace.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said, “A serious mistake by WM Police. You don’t tackle antisemitism by banning its victims. This decision must be reversed.” Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, described the ban as “racial discrimination to a whole new level.”
The Home Affairs Committee has asked West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford and Police Commissioner Simon Foster to explain the rationale behind the ban, including whether resource constraints or external campaigns, such as a petition by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, influenced the decision. The committee also inquired about the risk assessment process and whether a “bubble” arrangement for away fans was considered as an alternative.
UEFA, for its part, has stayed out of the fray, stating, “The competent local authorities remain responsible for decisions related to the safety and security of matches taking place on their territory.” The governing body has, however, regularly imposed sanctions for fan disorder, but these typically involve suspended punishments rather than outright bans on attendance.
For Maccabi Tel Aviv, the ban is just the latest in a series of disruptions. The club has played its home Europa League matches abroad for two years, most recently in Serbia, due to UEFA’s ruling that it was unsafe to host games in Israel. Angelides noted, “We’ve had to deal with this for two years, playing our home match abroad and often without fans because of the distance and location. No excuses, our players will be ready to play a football match.” He emphasized the club’s diversity, stating, “We have Jewish players; we have Christian players; we have Muslim players—we’re a club that’s quite diverse.”
As the match approaches, the focus remains as much on the stands and the streets as on the pitch. With passions running high and the eyes of Europe watching, authorities, fans, and players alike are bracing for a night that will test not only football’s capacity to unite, but also its ability to withstand the pressures of a world in conflict.
Regardless of the outcome on the field, the events surrounding Aston Villa versus Maccabi Tel Aviv have already ensured this will be a night remembered far beyond the final whistle, prompting urgent questions about the intersection of politics, security, and the beautiful game.
