Overview

• Israeli police called off the Hapoel–Maccabi match at Bloomfield Stadium, reporting dozens of pyrotechnics, 12 civilian injuries, three injured officers, nine arrests and 16 detentions.
• Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group, advised by West Midlands Police, has instructed that no Maccabi away fans attend Villa Park, classifying the fixture as high risk based on current intelligence and the 2024 Ajax–Maccabi unrest in Amsterdam.
• Downing Street says ministers are working to identify resources that could allow visiting supporters to attend, while the UK Football Policing Unit and local stakeholders back the current safety-led restrictions.
• Maccabi Tel Aviv claims flares that led to the derby’s cancellation came from Hapoel fans, whereas Hapoel accuses Israeli police of heavy-handed tactics, underscoring competing accounts of responsibility.
• Local campaigners and some MPs in Birmingham defend the ban on public-safety grounds as the government presses police and the Safety Advisory Group for options ahead of the 6 November fixture.