Di ban wey stop Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters from entering Villa Park for di Europa League match against Aston Villa still dey cause serious argument twelve months after di fixture. Di match happun for Birmingham on 6 November 2025, but Israeli fans no fit enter stadium.
Campaign against Maccabi travelling supporters start at least one month before kick-off. Ayoub Khan, one Birmingham MP wey dem elect as “Gaza Independent” for 2024, tok say allowing di fans go damage “community harmony” for one “predominantly Muslim” district. Muslim representatives for Birmingham City Council, led by Mumtaz Hussain and Waseem Zaffar, demand boycott or complete cancellation. Israr Rashid, one prominent Islamic cleric for Birmingham, urge worshippers to show “no mercy” to Israeli fans wey wan set foot for Birmingham.
West Midlands Police also move before di match. On 16 October, three weeks before kick-off, di force claim say one “thorough assessment” find say allowing di supporters go be “high risk” for di city’s Muslim population. Di police tok say Maccabi fans go dey banned.
Di police justification come from one “confidential report” wey di force claim say dem make with help from Dutch police, based on Maccabi Tel Aviv match against Ajax Amsterdam di previous November. According to Spiked, di report claim say after di match Maccabi supporters throw “innocent members of the public into the river” and “intentionally targeted Muslim communities.” Di report also allege say Amsterdam police bin must gather 5,000 officers to handle di threat.
Di report leak to press late November, and e raise questions. Spiked report tok say di scenes for Amsterdam indeed make international headlines, but for different reason: Maccabi supporters bin face wetin members of Amsterdam local Arab population call “Jew hunt” on WhatsApp.
