Maccabi Tel Aviv stops selling tickets for Aston Villa clash despite UK government vow to let ‘all fans’ attend

Maccabi Tel Aviv said it would refuse tickets offered to its fans for the Europa League match to be played at Villa Park.

The Israeli club said in a statement that the “toxic atmosphere” had placed the safety of fans wishing to attend the match “in great doubt”.

“The health and safety of our fans is paramount and, having learned the hard lessons, we have taken the decision to reject any proposed allocation on behalf of away fans and our decision must be understood in that context.

“We hope that conditions will change and we look forward to being able to play in a sporting environment in Birmingham in the near future.”

This is breaking news, more to come…