Maccabi Tel Aviv refuse allocated tickets for Europa League clash with Aston Villa | OneFootball

Aston Villa lock horns with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League on November 6.

However, the match at Villa Park will take place without any visiting supporters after the Israeli club confirmed they will not accept away ticket allocation.

The decision follows safety concerns raised by British police and Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), who advised against travelling fans at Villa Park.

The Villans announced last week that the SAG advised against allowing Maccabi fans, citing fears of protests outside the stadium.

The SAG is responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches in Birmingham,

The concerns were linked to demonstrations during Israel’s recent World Cup qualifiers in Oslo and Udine.

In a detailed statement on Monday, Maccabi Tel Aviv said they would not reverse their stance even if the authorities later lifted the restrictions.

The club emphasised that they decided to prioritise supporter safety amid what they described as a toxic atmosphere surrounding the fixture.

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

The club also condemned inflammatory rhetoric and what it called falsehoods linking its supporters to disturbances in Israel, including the cancellation of Sunday’s Tel Aviv derby.

UK police are continuing discussions with Israeli authorities to determine whether Maccabi fans played any role in those incidents.

For Aston Villa, the situation means a reduced crowd at Villa Park for a European night that was expected to draw significant attention.

The Villains, who have made an impressive start to their Europa League campaign, will now face the Israeli side in front of a home-only crowd as safety remains the priority.

Villa will surely be overwhelming favourites, having continued their resurgence with a fifth win on the trot over the weekend.

The Villans should be purring with confidence after bouncing back from a difficult start, and with Unai Emery at the helm, they are one of the teams to watch in this tournament.