On November 6, English club Aston Villa will face Israeli club Maccabi Tel-Aviv at home in the 4th round of the Europa League group stage. However, the match in Birmingham will take place without the visiting team’s fans, as reported on Aston Villa’s official website.
The decision to close the stands to Israeli fans was made following a meeting of the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), which sent the relevant recommendations to UEFA. According to Aston Villa’s statement, this decision was driven by safety concerns related to the current situation in the Gaza sector.
SAG, responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches at Aston Villa’s stadium, justified this decision based on concerns expressed by local police, who cited the risk of possible protests and difficulties in ensuring public safety on the day of the game.
— Aston Villa maintains constant contact with Maccabi and local authorities. The priority is the safety of all fans attending the match, as well as the residents of Birmingham, — says the official statement from Aston Villa.
