UK regrets Maccabi Tel Avivs refusal of away tickets

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LONDON - Britains government said it was saddened that Israeli soccer club Maccabi Tel Aviv had turned down its ticket allocation for an upcoming match at Aston Villa, even as ministers worked to overturn a police decision to ban travelling fans.

Israeli sports teams have become a focus for pro-Palestinian protesters during the conflict in Gaza.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had said it was wrong to ban away supporters from the Europa League match in the central English city of Birmingham on November 6 after local police expressed concerns about potential trouble.

But Maccabi said on Monday the toxic atmosphere put its fans at too much risk.

A British government spokesperson said it had been working round the clock to defend the principle that fans should be able to enjoy a game without fear of intimidation of violence.

We are deeply saddened Maccabi Tel Aviv have turned down their away fan allocation but we respect their right to do so, the spokesperson said.

It is completely unacceptable that this game has been weaponised to stoke violence and fear by those who seek to divide us. We will never tolerate antisemitism or extremism on our streets.

West Midlands Police said the initial ban was based on current intelligence and past incidents, citing violence around a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam last year.

Anti-Israeli gangs on scooters chased and beat Maccabi fans, while Maccabi supporters burned a Palestinian flag, pulled down another and vandalised a taxi, said Dutch police who made more than 60 arrests.

Maccabi said on Monday they were working to stamp out racism within their fan base but also said the