All of those arrested were men, ranging in age from 17 to 67, and most were charged with racially aggravated public crimes.
Police have arrested 11 people during violent demonstrations in Birmingham ahead of a politically charged Europa League match between Aston Villa and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel supporters gathered outside the stadium in protest on Thursday night, but despite the tensions, the match proceeded without major disruption.
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The match, which was held at Villa Park in Birmingham, saw the hosts defeat Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0 and was played under heavy security.
In a post-match statement, West Midlands Police (WMP) said all those arrested were men and boys aged between 17 and 67, with most arrested for racially aggravated public offenses.
Other arrests included a 21-year-old man who tried to throw fireworks into the stadium and a person suspected of possessing drugs with intent to supply. Police also detained a 21-year-old boy who refused to remove his mask when ordered, and a 17-year-old boy who ignored orders to disperse.
More than 700 police officers from WMP and 25 other forces across the UK were deployed to the city, kicking off at 20:00 GMT, along with police horses, dogs, drones and road units.
Six people were arrested tonight:
🔴 21-year-old man failed to comply with orders to remove mask
🔴 17-year-old boy who disobeyed orders to disperse
🔴Three people arrested for racially aggravated public order violation
🔴 Alone against the violation of peace pic.twitter.com/Ia3CL7EgjJ— West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) November 6, 2025
The atmosphere inside the stadium was relatively quiet, with many empty seats.
Aston Villa announced last month that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters would not be allowed to attend matches, a decision taken by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group based on information provided by police.
Sky News reported on Thursday that police barred Maccabi supporters from entering the stadium not because of any threat to Israelis attending the match, but because “significant levels of hooliganism” by the fan base threatened safety around the match.
“We are aware that there has been a lot of commentary that the threat to[Maccabi]fans was the reason for this decision. To be clear, that was not the main factor,” West Midlands Police Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce told Sky.
“We have intelligence and intelligence that there is a segment of Maccabi fans, not all Maccabi fans, but a select group that engages in significant levels of hooliganism,” Joyce said.
Maccabi supporters attract attention
Fan suspensions are unusual in European football and are usually only imposed in cases of violence between rival supporters. In this case, there have been no previous incidents involving Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.
But Maccabi supporters have gained increasing attention over the past year, due in part to tensions over Israel’s war in Gaza. Most notably, during last season’s Europa League match against Ajax, violent clashes broke out between Maccabi fans and Amsterdam residents.
More than 60 people were arrested and five people were taken to hospital after the night’s unrest.
Police said anti-Israel groups on scooters chased and beat Maccabi fans.
However, video footage verified by Reuters showed Maccabi fans in Amsterdam shouting anti-Arab slogans before the match. According to police reports, the team’s supporters burned a Palestinian flag, pulled down another flag and destroyed a taxi. The mayor then announced that he would not host the Maccabi team again.
Soccer expert Nicholas Blincoe said the risk of violence during the match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv was also linked to what he called the “racist” history of Maccabi supporters.
“These (Maccabi) ultras are becoming increasingly right-wing, nationalist and overtly racist,” he told Al Jazeera.
