Starmer has condemned restrictions on Aston Villa match amid widespread outrage, but the Israeli club's supporters have a history of violence and disruption

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/37677612

17 October 2025 13:52 BST
Last update: 1040 EDT

Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv’s fans are notorious for stoking violence and disruption in European cities.

Now they have been banned from attending the club’s Europa League match at Aston Villa in England’s Birmingham.

Shortly after the ban was announced on Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned it as the “wrong decision”, criticising West Midlands Police and saying: “We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.”

Ministers are now reportedly looking into reversing the ban.

The ban is far from unprecedented. In November 2023 Aston Villa banned fans of another club, Legia Warsaw, from attending the match on the advice of West Midlands Police after supporters of the Polish club engaged in violence.

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have a long track record of causing violence and disruption in European cities.