The Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv went ahead in Birmingham despite protests and heavy security, but tensions around fan behaviour stole the spotlight.

According to Al Jazeera, police arrested 11 people before the game, mostly for racially aggravated offences. One person tried to throw fireworks into the stadium, while others were detained for drug-related charges and ignoring police orders.

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from attending the match due to concerns over hooliganism, not because of threats against Israeli supporters. West Midlands Police told Sky News that some Maccabi fans have a history of violent behaviour, which raised safety risks.

This isn’t the first time Maccabi supporters have drawn attention. Last season in Amsterdam, clashes with locals led to over 60 arrests. Al Jazeera reports that some fans chanted anti-Arab slogans and vandalized property, prompting the city’s mayor to ban future visits from the team.

Despite the unrest, Aston Villa won the match 2–0 in a stadium with many empty seats.