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The league phase match at Villa Park has become a major political issue after the Israeli club’s supporters were banned from attending due to fears over their safety. The decision was made by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group, with Villa having no involvement, but it sparked a parliamentary-level debate as British prime minister Keir Starmer called it “wrong”. More than 700 police officers will be deployed amid a huge security operation, which will involve police horses, police dogs and a drone unit. The fixture has become more than a football match, but journalists were prevented from asking any non-football questions at Emery’s pre-match press conference. The Spaniard is only interested in the football and said: “It’s Europe and we are playing in Europe against very good teams. Firstly, it’s about our respect for the Europa League, for the competition. Secondly, it’s about our respect for Maccabi Tel Aviv. “How we are in the table is most important. We are going into matchday four, playing at home, and when we played against Bologna at home we won. “Tomorrow is very important, even more after the last match we lost in the Netherlands. Tomorrow is being very important for the points. “The objective is to be in the top 24, but the first priority we can achieve to be in the top eight is better. We’re playing the game tomorrow to really get our best collectively. “We want to enjoy the way through the Europa League.” Meanwhile, club captain John McGinn has signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until 2028. The Scotland international joined the club in 2018 from Scottish side Hibs and has been an integral part of Villa’s rise over recent months. Emery said: “Three years we have worked together and in those years he has shown us and shown me how he leads the team. “The most important thing is how he responds in the field. His commitment with Aston Villa is a huge committment. “He is going to be an important player for us.” Why are there no away fans? The call local Safety Advisory Group (SAG), with help from an assessment from West Midlands Police that the match was “high-risk”, decided that approximately 1,000 Maccabi fans would be banned from attending. The decision was not only made with the context of the Israel-Gaza war, with police adding that the move was also “based on 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". There were strong calls to reverse the decision, which was deemed politically controversial, but Maccabi stated on 20 October that they would snub the offer of tickets due to “a toxic atmosphere has been created which makes the safety of our fans wishing to attend very much in doubt.” Are there any recent examples of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at away matches that have influenced the decision? Violent clashes and hate crime offences took place around the Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam last year, which the Eredivisie side won 5-0. Pro-Palestinian supporters and Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv clashed in the Dutch capital. Amsterdam’s police chief said Maccabi supporters attacked a taxi and set a Palestinian flag on fire the day before the match, as well as chanting anti-Palestinian slogans on matchday. The clashes led to dozens of arrests, while five people were imprisoned. There have been accusations of anti-semitic attacks in the immediate aftermath of the clashes from 6-7 November. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema claimed the incidents caused “a black night and a dark day” for the city, claiming anti-semitic “criminals” attacked Jewish visitors and that “it was hit and run”. What measures are in place and will there be an increased police presence? It has been widely reported that there will be more than 700 police officers on duty on the evening of the game in and around Villa Park Stadium. Horses, dogs, a drone unit, and road policing officers will be present and there is a no-fly zone around the ground. The community in the Aston area is 73.3pc Muslim, according to the 2021 Census. While there will be a heightened police presence between Aston and Witton train stations, West Midlands Railways has confirmed. So why is the decision to ban fans controversial? Uefa, European football’s governing body, has told Reuters that competent local authorities are responsible for the decision over fan safety. Some supporters have reacted negatively to the decision, pointing out it will impact the atmosphere, while Jonny Gould, former director of the Aston Villa Supporters Trust, maintains he “doesn’t want politics in the business of football”. While a more serious impact from the decision, according to Maccabi Tel Aviv chair Jack Angelides, is how it might set a precedent for how events are handled moving forward. “To be frank, it’s met with some dismay about what this potentially is signalling,” he told Radio 4’s Today show. “I do think this is an extremely important moment because of what it signifies. I don’t use this term lightly but people ask: ‘What does anti-semitism look like?' "And it’s often manifested as part of a process – a process, in other words, small events leading up to something that’s more.” Will there be protests? Birmingham Police commander Ch Supt Tom Joyce confirmed that protests are expected to take place on the day, with plans in place “to balance the right to protest with our duty to protect all communities in Birmingham.” There could also be counter-protests with support for Israel. West Midlands Police released a statement on social media on Wednesday confirming that supporters planning to attend the fixture on Thursday night will face “multiple ticket checks on the approach to the stadium.”
