LONDON: British officials said Friday they were working to reverse a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans attending a Europa League game at Aston Villa next month because of security concerns, a decision that drew condemnation from politicians, sports organizations and Jewish groups.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the police recommendation to bar the visiting team’s fans from the Nov.
6 game was “the wrong decision,” and European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, urged British authorities to ensure the Israeli team’s fans could go to the match.
“UEFA wants fans to be able to travel and support their team in a safe, secure and welcoming environment, and encourages both teams and the competent authorities to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures necessary to allow this to happen,” it said in a statement.
Ian Murray, a minister in the department for culture, media and sport, said the government “will do everything we possibly can to resolve this issue.” He said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy “will be meeting with the Home Office and other stakeholders today to try and see if there’s a way through this.”
Aston Villa said in a statement that police had informed the club that “they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.”
West Midlands Police said it had deemed the match at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England, to be high risk “based on current intelligence and previous incidents,” including violence and hate crimes that took place when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax in Amsterdam last season.
The fan ban was swiftly criticized by Starmer, who said “the role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear
arabnews.com
