Fan Ban 'incredibly Sad' - Maccabi Tel Aviv Chief

Maccabi Tel Aviv main executive Jack Angelides has called for a separation betwixt shot and authorities aft distant fans were banned from Thursday's Europa League crippled astatine Aston Villa.

Last month, West Midlands Police raised concerns astir its expertise to woody pinch imaginable protests and nan Safety Advisory Group - nan assemblage responsible for issuing information certificates for matches - informed Villa no travelling fans will beryllium permitted astatine nan lucifer successful Birmingham.

The determination became nan attraction of parliamentary-level debate and nan Israeli nine later said supporters would not recreation to Birmingham for information reasons.

"It's incredibly sad and I deliberation it's a concerning and a worrying sign," Angelides told BBC Sport.

"Politics should ne'er beryllium drawn into football.

"It became a governmental rumor and we're not a pawn successful a governmental game, we're a shot club. Our strengths are moving a shot nine and playing football."

Six weeks ago, location was a chance nan crippled mightiness not spell ahead, pinch calls for Israeli teams to beryllium removed from world competitions because of nan Israel-Gaza war.

But erstwhile a ceasefire was agreed past month, it became clear Maccabi Tel Aviv - nan only Israeli nine to scope nan convention shape of European title this play - would enactment successful nan Europa League.

West Midlands Police said its determination was "based connected existent intelligence and erstwhile incidents, including convulsive clashes and dislike crime offences that occurred during nan 2024 Uefa Europa League lucifer betwixt Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv successful Amsterdam".

A conjugation of six pro-Palestinian organisations will beryllium extracurricular Villa Park connected Thursday to protestation against nan lucifer going ahead.

Nayeem Malik, chair of West Midlands Palestinian Solidarity, said nan organisation has put retired a nationalist telephone for group to move up and dream to person betwixt 20,000 and 50,000 protesters attending.

"Maccabi Tel Aviv should not beryllium playing anyplace successful nan world arena," Malik told BBC Sport.

"We person had a batch of demonstrations for Palestine successful this metropolis and they person each been very peaceful.

"Our run is that Israel should beryllium boycotted successful each sports and that's whether they play pinch aliases without fans."

More than 700 constabulary officers will beryllium deployed, including those pinch horses, dogs, nan force's drone unit, and roadworthy policing officers. There will beryllium a no-fly area astir nan ground.

"We spot successful nan section authorities," said Angelides.

"I consciousness that they must cognize nan situation, what is required and cognize nan lines that must beryllium drawn."

Maccabi Tel Aviv person played some their Europa League location games this play successful Serbia aft Uefa ruled it was unsafe to big matches successful Israel, and Angelides believes nan players are accustomed to playing fixtures without a ample travelling support.

"We've had to woody pinch this for 2 years, playing our location lucifer overseas and often without fans because of nan region and location," he added.

"No excuses, our players will beryllium fresh to play a shot match."