Hapoel Tel Aviv criticised the derby cancellation, accusing Israeli police of “preparing for a war, not a sporting event”, including during discussions in the lead-up to the highly-anticipated match.<\/p>\n
“The shocking events outside the stadium and following the reckless and scandalous decision not to hold the match only demonstrate that the Israel Police has taken control of the sport,” Hapoel Tel Aviv said in a statement on X, external<\/a>. <\/p>\n Maccabi Tel Aviv has not yet commented, except to confirm the match was cancelled.<\/p>\n The decision by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Aston Villa match on 6 November has sparked widespread criticism.<\/p>\n The UK government has since said it is working to overturn the ban<\/a> and exploring what additional resources might be required to ensure the fixture can be hosted safely.<\/p>\n Villa told their matchday stewards that they did not have to work<\/a> at the game, saying they understood that some “may have concerns”.<\/p>\n On Thursday, West Midlands Police said it supported the ban and classified the fixture as “high risk” based on intelligence and previous incidents.<\/p>\n