The violent Amsterdam football riot that led police to fear clashes at Aston Villa-Maccabi Tel Aviv match
Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans have been told they will not be able to attend next month’s Europa League match against Aston Villa in Birmingham; The ban was swiftly condemned by Sir Keir Starmer, Jewish political leaders and Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar.
The Prime Minister said, “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.”
“The role of the police is to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the game without fear of violence or intimidation.”
The Birmingham Safety Advisory Group, which is responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, issued the ban after West Midlands Police said it had classed the match as high risk.
They stated that this decision was made based on “available intelligence and previous events”, including the UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv played in Amsterdam in 2024.
Before the match, there were violent clashes between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli fans; Five people were sentenced to prison and more than 60 people were detained in the riots.
As government officials meet to discuss the ban, The Independent takes a look at what happened in Amsterdam last autumn:
before the game
Before the match, Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema moved the pro-Palestinian demonstration away from the Johan Cruyff Arena to reduce possible clashes, but Tel Aviv fans reportedly continued to gather in Dam Square, leading to angry clashes.
Amsterdam police chief said Maccabi fans attacked a taxi and set fire to a Palestinian flag the day before the match.
But Mayor Halsema said the actions were no excuse for what would happen later when violence broke out in the European city.
On match day
On the match day, more than 200 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans took to the streets of Amsterdam. Some were seen tearing down Palestinian flags, while others were seen chanting anti-Palestinian slogans.
Police escorted them to the stadium.
Just before kick-off, Tel Aviv fans at the Johan Cruyff Arena ignored a minute’s silence in memory of victims of recent floods in Spain, triggering further hostility within the stadium.
during the match
The turmoil increased further when the streets saw a rioter climbing a building to tear down a Palestinian flag. Seeking revenge, taxi drivers attacked the group and even used apps to track down the victims. Times.
The match ended in a heavy defeat for Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax won 5-0.
One of the Israeli rebels involved in the mayhem was reportedly identified as a soldier in the IDF after the attackers took his passport.
A video verified by Reuters showed a group of men running near Amsterdam Central Station, chasing and attacking other men as police sirens blared.
Another shows a car driving onto the pavement and running over one of the Israeli fans.
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Britons who left the stadium early were subjected to violence.
Aaron, 33, told the BBC he was punched in the face for helping an injured Israeli fan.
“We arrived in one of the central areas and saw mopeds coming and some men starting to beat an Israeli man who was returning to his hotel,” he says, adding that they kicked his head, referring to his religion.
“Soon after, the same men who attacked Israel came directly into our personal space and asked, ‘Are you Jewish?’ they said. And we said, ‘No, we’re British’.”
One of the men then punched him in the face.
“I was bleeding and had a black eye,” he says. “I’m fine, but a little shaken.”
His friend Jacob added: “They were looking for Jews, not just Israelis.”
The mayor said city police were surprised when security services did not mark the match against Ajax, a club with a traditionally strong Jewish fan base, as high risk.
He added that “anti-Semitic hit-and-run teams” managed to evade a force of approximately 200 police officers.
The mayor said men on scooters rode around the city attacking supporters, bringing pogroms against Jews in plausible European history.
Dutch police confirmed more than 60 people were arrested following violent clashes.
Israeli officials escalated their reactions when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared “rescue planes” for Israeli fans, but the mission was later cancelled.
Amsterdam banned demonstrations for three days from Friday following attacks on Israeli football fans overnight.
Efforts were made to evacuate 2,751 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Amsterdam.
Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia announced five flights to Amsterdam and Brussels.
The Israeli embassy in The Hague said mobs were chanting anti-Israeli slogans and sharing videos of violence on social media showing them “kicking, beating and even trampling Israeli citizens.”
“It is horrifying to once again witness anti-Semitic violence on the streets of Europe on the eve of Kristallnacht, when Jews in Nazi Germany were subjected to brutal attacks,” the statement said.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned “anti-Arab slogans” and “attack on the Palestinian flag” in Amsterdam.
In its statement about X, the Ministry said that it called on the Dutch government to investigate the incident and “protect Palestinians and Arabs” living in the Netherlands.
