LONDON: West Midlands Police have said their decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from attending the club’s Europa League fixture against Aston Villa on Thursday was based on intelligence suggesting “significant levels of hooliganism” among a section of the Israeli club’s fan base, rather than concerns about threats to Israeli fans.
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Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce told Sky News that the move, which drew criticism from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and several MPs, was taken solely on safety grounds following an assessment of risks surrounding the match.
British police said six people were arrested on Thursday evening ahead of the match. West Midlands Police, which has deployed more than 700 officers over concerns of clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups, said a 21-year-old man was arrested for failing to comply with an order to remove a face mask while a 17-year-old boy was arrested for failing to comply with a dispersal order.
Three others were arrested for racially aggravated public order offenses and another for breach of the peace.
