Maccabi Tel Aviv will not accept any away fan tickets for its Europa League match at Aston Villa next month, even if local authorities reverse the decision to ban their supporters, the soccer club said on Monday.

The local Safety Advisory Group (SAG) covering Villa Park in Birmingham, central England, last week blocked visiting fans from attending the November 6 match following a police risk assessment.

That decision drew political criticism, including from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with widespread calls for the ruling to be reversed. The British government said Friday it was working to allow Israeli fans to be present.

But a statement on the Maccabi Tel Aviv website said: “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.”

The announcement came a day after Israeli police called off the Israeli Premier League match between Maccabi and city rivals Hapoel because of “riots” between rival fans. Maccabi insisted their supporters were not involved in the........

© The Times of Israel