Aston Villa 2-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv: Unai Emery’ side cruised to a comfortable win over Israeli opposition but few will leave Villa Park talking about the result
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Three points for Villa and one huge sigh of relief for the people of Aston and its surrounding areas.
A night that left so many fearing the worst ended with a straightforward win for Unai Emery’s team and, more importantly, no widespread disorder as what appeared to be a successful security operation involving 700 police officers from 10 different forces led to just 11 arrests.
Maccabi Tel Aviv had arrived without any supporters allowed into the ground, banned because Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group ruled last month that their presence would mean a threat of widespread trouble. And from that decision’s fallout, with Sir Keir Starmer among those to criticise the SAG, grew conjecture and speculation of chaos on the streets of the Second City.
What transpired was a series of noisy protests on the streets of B6, but, fortunately, no real evidence of violence.
If the atmosphere was tense and noisy outside before and, by several accounts, during the match, the feeling inside the stadium was uncertain and disconnected. So severe were the warnings of trouble that many had chosen to stay at home and there were empty seats visible in every section of the ground.
The Villa fans who turned up were quick to attempt some humour directed at the vacant away end with chants of: “You’ve seen the Villa, now f*** off home”, “You’ve only come to see the Villa”, “Shall we sing a song for you” and “It’s all very quiet over there”.
Maccabi Tel Aviv were barred from bringing fans into Villa Park for their Europa League clashopen image in gallery
Maccabi Tel Aviv were barred from bringing fans into Villa Park for their Europa League clash (Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
Yet those quickly faded, to be replaced by a low hum of chatter for much of a rhythm-less first half. Aside from a small number of half-and-half scarves (presumably bought as a peculiar memento for this very peculiar occasion), there was little else worth noting in the stands.
On the streets surrounding Villa Park it was a different story, even if there was, fortunately, no violence.
As kick-off approached, a pro-Israel protest was penned into a basketball court and playground behind the Doug Ellis Stand while a far larger pro-Palestine group had formed on Trinity Road, although it was nowhere close to the outlandish 50,000 predicted by one organiser earlier this week.
Pro-Palestine protests filled the streets outside Villa Park ahead of kick-offopen image in gallery
Pro-Palestine protests filled the streets outside Villa Park ahead of kick-off (AFP/Getty)
By late morning, their posters and banners were being attached to lampposts, with Villa staff moving quickly to demand that one reading “Boycott Israel” be removed from the ground’s gates. The messages of “Shooting babies in Gaza, playing games in Birmingham” and “Give Zionism the red card” remained attached to public property outside. Reminders of this being a peaceful demonstration were mixed with inflammatory chants of “From the river to the sea” and “Death to the IDF.”
Local independent MP Ayoub Khan was among those to give an address. “When you see the images of children being massacred, when you understand that more than 800 athletes have been killed in Gaza, then you will understand the moral argument that if we can ban Russian football teams then the right moral stance is you ban any Israeli team from participating,” he told the crowd before conveying his wish that Villa defeat their visitors by a significant margin. That was met by the loudest cheer, with many passing matchgoers joining in.
Not every Villa fan was comfortable with their presence, however, and a line of police on horseback intervened when a small group of supporters began chanting Tommy Robinson’s name close to the 8pm kick-off. Earlier, when one woman, in her twenties, stood with the flag of Israel stretched out, she was met by a predictable verbal reaction before being escorted away for her own safety. It simmered for some time but never boiled over.
Some Villa fans clashed with protestors as police intervenedopen image in gallery
Some Villa fans clashed with protestors as police intervened (Getty Images)
Back inside, the Maccabi players had been met with complete disinterest when they emerged for their pre-match warm-ups and there was hardly a murmur when their line-up was read out over a PA turned up louder than normal. Indeed, the only whiff of discontent shown in the opening 15 minutes was towards centre-back Mohamed Ali Camara, who twice went down injured before being substituted.
Time-wasting from goalkeeper Roi Mishpati brought more jeers from the home fans, yet the atmosphere remained unmistakably weird. It did not help that Villa’s first sustained bit of pressure in the final third arrived with 35 minutes on the clock as Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen both went close, while Maatsen turned down a chance to shoot by delivering a low cross instead.
Ian Maatsen broke the deadlock for Aston Villa after a disjointed halfopen image in gallery
Ian Maatsen broke the deadlock for Aston Villa after a disjointed half (AP)
He did not pass up a second opportunity entering first-half added time, though, when he delivered a swerving effort from a tight angle in off the woodwork following fine build-up play from Morgan Rogers.
Malen, leading the line with Ollie Watkins given a rest from the starting XI, made it 2-0 in the 59th minute by coolly converting a soft penalty, awarded when Ezri Konsa was judged to have been fouled by Elad Madmon on the edge of the area.
That it would be deemed a bit of controversy worth talking about on a night that promised so much trouble was some comfort to take from an occasion when, really, there were never going to be any winners.
More than 700 officers deployed around Villa Park in massive policing operation for Europa League tie
At least 11 people were arrested as a series of verbal clashes broke out during a pro-Palestine protest outside Aston Villa’s controversial Europa League match against Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Villa Park ahead of Thursday night’s tie, which took place without visiting fans after Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group raised public safety concerns.
The demonstrators, including members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, gathered outside the stadium’s Trinity Road Stand, with a stage set up for speakers to lead chants against the IDF and in support of Palestinians.
They demanded Israel’s domestic football teams be excluded from UEFA competitions.
But despite calls for a peaceful protest, just before the game started at 8pm there were several verbal clashes between people outside the stadium and those taking part in the demonstration.
Police officers detain a protester outside the stadium during the matchopen image in gallery
Police officers detain a protester outside the stadium during the match (REUTERS/Hannah Mckay)
With more than 700 officers on duty as part of the major operation, West Midlands Police quickly intervened in each face-off, moving groups of people along and pushing the protesters away from stadium entrances.
The atmosphere calmed after the game started, but at half-time, with Villa fans coming out into the concourse, some confronted the protesters through a metal fence.
Police again quickly moved the groups apart, before later ensuring supporters and remaining demonstrators, who decided to stay on after the protest was called to an end at 8.30pm, were kept separated at the end of the match.
The force said a 21-year-old man was arrested for failing to comply with an order to remove a face mask, while another 21-year-old was arrested after trying to throw fireworks into the ground. A 17-year-old boy was arrested for failing to comply with a dispersal order and a man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs.
Five men were arrested for racially aggravated public order offences, one for breach of the peace. A 17-year-old boy was arrested after being issued with a dispersal order but refusing to leave the area.
Police officers and protesters outside the stadium before the matchopen image in gallery
Police officers and protesters outside the stadium before the match (Hannah Mckay/REUTERS)
Protest steward Naveed Sadiq said: “It’s unfortunate there were some skirmishes, but when you have a protest of this size, and so many people attending the game, I’m afraid you get the minority and these things happen.
“Overall, I’m pleased with how the protest has gone. I feel like we got our show of support for Palestine across tonight, while pushing our point that Maccabi Tel Aviv should not be in this competition, given what’s happened in Gaza.”
Ali Abbas, of the West Midlands Palestine Solidarity group, said: “The game should have been cancelled to begin with, and then there would not have been this situation. You have seen here the strength of feeling against it here locally tonight.”
Many people attending the protest waved Palestine flags and brandished placards, some saying “stop arming Israel” and “stop starving Gaza”.
open image in gallery
(Alex Ross / The Independent)
Among those speaking was Perry Barr independent MP Ayoub Khan, who claimed Israeli teams should face a similar ban in European competitions to the one handed down by Uefa to Russian clubs following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“When you see the images of children being massacred, when you understand that more than 800 athletes have been killed in Gaza… then you will understand the moral argument,” he told protesters.
Five flatbed vehicles were driven past the ground prior to kick-off, carrying electronic billboards showing messages opposing antisemitism.
One of the messages, beside a Star of David, read “Ban hatred not fans”, while another carried a quote from Thierry Henry saying football is not about goals but about bringing people together.
Around 40 protesters, one carrying an Israeli flag, and others carrying posters saying “Keep antisemitism out of football”, gathered on a basketball court on Witton Lane, close to the Doug Ellis Stand, to hear various speakers oppose the ban on Maccabi fans.
One Villa supporter, Adam Selway, said while he was not making any political statement, he felt sympathy with fans unable to attend and simply wanted to watch a football match.
“It’s not about politics, it’s about football,” he said. “It’s not the Villa fans that don’t want anyone here – the Villa fans want the away fans here.”
Maccabi announced it would decline any away tickets for the match after the government said it was “working around the clock” to ensure fans from both sides could attend.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer had called for the ban on away fans to be overturned, saying it was “the wrong decision”.