Aston Villa host Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday night after a contentious and political build-up to the Europa League fixture.
After weeks of controversy, the Israeli side will make the visit to play at Villa Park for the first fixture between the two clubs.
However, Maccabi will do so without their away fans after the recommendation was passed down by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group.
That decision prompted outcry from politicians on both sides, including the Prime Minister, but the ban on visiting fans ultimately remained in place.
Despite that, as many as 700 police officers are still expected to be at Villa Park, with protests expected on the day.
Get personalised updates on Aston Villa every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
Ahead of the fixture, he’s a look at how we got here and the controversy that unfolded.
Why are there no away fans?
Before every football fixture, a city’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) will make an assessment of the necessary police presence and any potential restrictions that need to be put in place regarding visiting supporters.
And after taking into account several factors, including a report from West Midlands Police that deemed the match as ‘high-risk’,the SAG decided that the 1,000 travelling away fans would be barred from attending.
The group noted that the decision was, in part, made within the context of the Israel-Gaza war, but was also ‘based on current intelligence’ as well as ‘previous incidents’ involving travelling Maccabi fans in European club matches.
Strong uproar after the announcement put pressure on the SAG to reverse that decision, but, just over a fortnight out from the fixture, Maccabi stated they would reject the offer of tickets in any case.
‘It is clear that various entrenched groups seek to malign the Maccabi Tel Aviv fan base, most of whom have no truck with racism or hooliganism of any kind, and are exploiting isolated incidents for their own social and political ends,’ the club stated.
‘As a result of the hate-filled falsehoods, a toxic atmosphere has been created, which makes the safety of our fans wishing to attend very much in doubt.’
What influenced the decision?
Violent clashes involving Maccabi fans in Amsterdam last year were noted as a key reason for barring the Israeli club’s supporters from tonight’s match.
Incidents between away fans and pro-Palestinian demonstrators before the Europa League match with Ajax led to more than 60 arrests, with four men being handed short prison sentences and another given a community service order.
Amsterdam police said that Israeli supporters, including some Maccabi fans, were ‘actively sought out’ by ‘antisemitic’ rioters, while footage also emerged showing fans pulling down Palestinian flags in central Amsterdam as well as chanting anti-Arab songs on their way to the stadium.
Maccabi supporters also disrupted a minute’s silence prior to kick-off, which was held in memory of the victims of the deadly floods in Valencia.
More recently, on October 19, the Tel Aviv derby between Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv was cancelled after what police described as ‘public disorder and violent riots’. 12 people and three police officers were injured.
Why was the ban controversial?
It is not unheard of for away supporters to be banned from attending fixtures, with UEFA insisting that local authorities are responsible for the decision over fan safety.
Last season, French authorities ordered PSV Eindhoven not to take supporters to their Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain.
And on Wednesday, Eintracht Frankfurt supporters were not allowed to attend their Champions League clash against Napoli.
Despite that, the decision not to allow Maccabi fans received widespread criticism from British politicians. including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who said ‘the role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation’.
Meanwhile, the Jewish Leadership Council said it is ‘perverse that away fans should be banned from a football match because West Midlands Police can’t guarantee their safety’.
But some local politicians did support the ban, including Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, who claimed the club has ‘hooligans who have a long history of violence and vile racism’.
As per the 2021 Census, the Aston Park area around Villa Park is 70.2% Muslim.
What is expected on the night?
More than 700 police officers will be deployed in and around Villa Park. Horses, dogs, the force’s drone unit, and road policing officers will be in place, as well as a no-fly zone around the ground.
Protests are also expected to take place on Thursday, most notably from the campaign group Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which is demanding that Israel be excluded from international football due to their actions in Gaza.
The protest will assemble at 6pm at Aston Park Pavilion, a short distance from Villa Park.
Counter-protests in support of Israel are also expected to take place,
Birmingham Police commander Ch Supt Tom Joyce said on Monday: ‘We know protests by different groups will take place on the day, and we have plans in place which balance the right to protest with our duty to protect all communities in Birmingham.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.