No Maccabi Tel Aviv fans will be allowed to attend their Europa League match away to Aston Villa because of safety concerns. West Midlands Police has concerns about its ability to deal with any potential protests when the Israeli side play at Villa Park on Thursday, 6 November.

The Safety Advisory Group - the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches - informed Villa no travelling fans will be permitted at the match in Birmingham.

Villa said: "The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process. "The safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents is at the forefront of any decision."

West Midlands Police said the upcoming game has been classified as "high risk" following a "thorough assessment". A spokesperson said: "This decision is based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam.

"Based on our professional judgement, we believe this measure will help mitigate risks to public safety. "While the safety certificate is issued by Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police supports the decision to prohibit away supporters from attending."

Arrests were made after violence broke out before the match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in November last year. Amsterdam officials described the violence as a "toxic combination of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger" over the war in Gaza, Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East.

A ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on 10 October. There have been protests at various sporting events over the war in Gaza, including when Israel's national team played Norway and Italy in recent World Cup qualifiers.

Thirty-nine people were arrested after violence broke out in the build-up to Villa's game with Legia Warsaw in 2023.