Sports
No. 10 pledges action over Maccabi fan ban at Villa
Downing Street has pledged action to resolve the ban on fans of Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv attending next month’s Europa League game at Aston Villa, as it emerged the government was warned of the proposals last week.
Discussions are happening “at pace, across government” to overturn the ban on visiting supporters attending the match at Villa Park on Nov. 6, No. 10 has said.
Authorities in Birmingham are facing mounting pressure to overturn the ban, with the government stepping in on Thursday evening.
However, ministers face fresh questions after the UK Football Policing Unit said the Home Office was briefed “last week” that “restrictions on visiting fans” could be among the measures taken to police the fixture.
Senior officers at the unit backed the ban, saying it was “important that we respect and support the structures in place for making these decisions”.
It is understood the Home Office was briefed that a ban was being considered, but no decision had been taken and the Home Secretary was not informed of the final decision until it was made public on Thursday night.
Conversations aimed at overturning the ban include Home Office offers of support to police in Birmingham, and a phone call between Communities Secretary Steve Reed and Birmingham City Council.
Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is “meeting officials to discuss what more can be done to try to find a way through to resolve this, and what more can be done to allow fans to attend the game safely”, a No. 10 spokesman said.
He added: “You can expect to hear further updates today. I won’t pre-empt the conversations, but these are happening at pace, across government, with all the relevant groups to find a way to resolve this.”
The Prime Minister has been “angered by the decision,” the spokesman also said, adding: “While of course this is an operational decision, we are perfectly entitled to speak out on fundamental principles of fairness like this.”
He said: “The Prime Minister will do everything in his power to give Jewish communities the security they deserve and, as he has made clear, we think this is the wrong decision.”
The Aston Villa vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv match was classified high risk by West Midlands Police based on “current intelligence and previous incidents.”
The force pointed to violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi in Amsterdam.
Birmingham’s safety advisory group (SAG), which brings together the council and police force, has faced widespread criticism from across the political spectrum for its decision to implement the ban.
The West Midlands’ police and crime commissioner Simon Foster called for Birmingham council officials and West Midlands Police to review the decision.
The review would “determine whether or not this decision and recommendation is appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim,” he said.
Labour mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker suggested the government could finance the policing costs should the ban be overturned.
He wrote on social media: “Whilst I respect West Midlands Police, if the government are willing to support in terms of resource then there should be a review of the decision that has been made.”
UEFA, which runs the Europa League, urged UK authorities to make sure Maccabi fans could attend the fixture.
Maccabi chief executive Jack Angelides said he did not want to take security issues lightly but told the BBC the team has travelled to places such as Turkey, where he said the sentiment is “not so kind towards Israeli teams,” but the police “were out in force” and there were no incidents.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister to “get involved” if the police did not reverse its decision to ban Maccabi supporters.
She said the Prime Minister “needs to show he has got a backbone and isn’t so weak that he will just allow Jewish people to be terrorised here.”
The chair of the Culture Media and Sport select committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, has written to the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police asking for an explanation of the decision.
“The move to prevent away fans from attending next month’s match at Villa Park is extremely concerning and is at odds with the principle that football in this country is for everyone,” Dinenage said.
“The police need to be open about how and why they reached the decision that a ban was the only way of guaranteeing public safety, and whether there is a route to reversing what is a deeply regrettable situation.”
Hyderabad Kingsmen fast bowler Mohammad Ali has been fined 10% of his match fee after pleading guilty to a Level 1 breach of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) Code of Conduct during Friday night’s Eliminator 2 against Islamabad United at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Ali was found to have violated Article 2.21 of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “conduct that brings the game into disrepute”.
According to officials, the incident took place in the 16th over of Islamabad United’s innings when Faheem Ashraf walked in to bat after the dismissal of Haider Ali.
The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Shahid Saikat, while match referee Roshan Mahanama imposed the sanction.
The Kingsmen went on to beat Islamabad United by two runs to book their place in the PSL 11 final against table-toppers Peshawar Zalmi at the same venue on Sunday, ending United’s campaign in the tournament.
Chasing 187, Islamabad lost Sameer Minhas for six and Mohsin Riaz for five inside the first three overs with 15 runs on the board. Devon Conway and Shadab Khan then added 42 before Saim Ayub dismissed Conway for 30 off 25 balls in the eighth over.
Shadab made 22 off 24 deliveries before falling to Hassan Khan at the start of the 11th over, while Mark Chapman kept Islamabad in the hunt with 43 off 26 balls. Chapman added 64 runs with Haider Ali, who scored 31 off 16 before falling to Mohammad Ali in the 16th over.
Faheem Ashraf and Chris Green then smashed 22 runs off Ali in the penultimate over to leave Islamabad needing six from the last over, but Hunain Shah conceded only three to seal a two-run win. Ali and Hunain took two wickets each, while Akif Javed, Hassan Khan and Saim Ayub picked up one apiece.
Earlier, Hyderabad Kingsmen posted 186/5 after being put in to bat, driven by a 101-run fifth-wicket stand between Usman Khan and Kusal Perera.
Usman remained unbeaten on 61 off 30 balls, while Perera made 37 from 21 deliveries. Saim Ayub scored 38 and captain Marnus Labuschagne added 40, while Imad Wasim was Islamabad’s standout bowler with 2 for 16 in two overs.
MIAMI:
Fourth-ranked Cameron Young rode a hot start and surged to a five-stroke lead after Friday’s second round of the PGA Cadillac Championship.
Young birdied four of the first seven holes on his way to firing a five-under par 67 and stand on 13-under 131 after 36 holes at Trump National Doral in Florida.
“I’ve just putted really well,” Young said. “I’ve left myself in mostly doable spots when I’ve missed greens.
“But I haven’t driven it great and that’s something I hopefully look to return to normal over the next couple days.”
Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, fellow American Alex Smalley and Canada’s Nick Taylor shared second on 136 with American Gary Woodland on 137.
Young, who won the Players Championship in March and captured his first PGA title last August at Greensboro, said he feels comfortable with a big lead, well aware it could vanish quickly on the weekend.
“I’ve been around the lead quite a bit and I’m not particularly uncomfortable. I’ve liked this golf course thus far,” Young said.
“There’s a lot of guys four or five back. I’m sure somebody will be four- or five-under tomorrow so you have to prepare for that.”
Young topped putting and scrambling statistics.
“I avoided the bad misses for the most part. It’s not like I drove it awful but I would love to play from the fairway a couple more times the next couple days,” he said.
“There’s a lot of golf to be played on a difficult golf course but so far I’ve played well. If I can drive it a little bit better, I feel like I can keep cruising and see what happens.”
Young reached the green in two and birdied the par-five first hole to grab the solo lead then stretched the margin with a 17-foot birdie putt at the third and a 27-foot birdie putt at the fifth.
The lead reached four strokes when Young sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the seventh.
Young’s approach at the par-five eighth was plugged in a bunker. He punched out into an adjacent bunker then blasted to five feet and rescued par.
At the par-three ninth, Young missed the green but rolled the ball just outside six feet and saved par again.
Young sank a 16-foot birdie putt at the par-three 13th, boosting his advantage to five, but then needed two shots to escape greenside rough at 14 and made his first bogey of the tournament.
Young drove the green at the par-four 16th and two-putted for birdie from 26 feet to restore his five-stroke margin.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub refused to shake hands or even stand beside Israel Football Association Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman during a tense exchange at the FIFA Congress Thursday.
Both officials were invited to the stage by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, but the Palestinian representative resisted efforts to bring him closer to his Israeli counterpart.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino shakes hands with Basim Sheikh Suliman (left), vice president of the Israeli Football Association, as Jibril Rajoub (right), president of the Palestine Football Association, leaves the stage at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada, April 30, 2026. (Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)
Infantino briefly placed a hand on Rajoub’s arm and gestured for him to step forward, but Rajoub did not comply.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 2026 Semafor World Economy conference in Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2026. (Kent Nishimura/AFP)
The Palestinian FA, led by Rajoub, has long pushed for Israel to be suspended from international soccer competition.
Rajoub defended his decision, saying he remains committed to formal processes but believes stronger action is needed.
“I still respect and follow the legal procedure, but I think it’s time to understand that Israel should be sanctioned. The double-standard policy should stop,” Rajoub said, according to The Times of Israel.
“I refused to shake hands. Sport is sport. … For me, that should be respected, but if the other side is representing a criminal like Bibi [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] and speaking on behalf of Bibi as if Bibi is Mother Teresa, how can I shake hands or have a photo with such a man?
A fan displays a Palestinian flag during a Nations League group stage match between France and Israel Nov. 14, 2024. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
“I think Gianni has the right to try to bridge gaps and bring people together, but I think maybe he does not understand or does not know the deep suffering of the Palestinian people.”
After the exchange, Infantino addressed the room, urging cooperation.
“We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman. Let’s work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters,” Infantino said.
Speaking just before the incident, Suliman emphasized the unifying role of the sport.
“In football, there is no place for politics,” Suliman said. “Everyone has the right to play and compete. We are teaching children values like respect, equality and love for others, and we hope that by the next time we meet, the situation will be better. We extend a hand to the Palestinian FA in the spirit of those shared values.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Players from Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur line up before the UEFA Super Cup soccer match in Udine, Italy, on Aug. 13, 2025. (Denes Erdos/AP)
UEFA was reportedly moving toward a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September, but the motion was put on pause.
Infantino announced no action would be taken against the team on Oct. 3 after a historic peace proposal by President Donald Trump and Netanyahu.
However, even after the peace proposal, Israeli sports teams have faced opposition and exclusion.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
5/2: Saturday Morning – CBS News
Oil tanker hijacked off Yemen, diverted towards Somalia: Yemen coast guard
AI detects pancreatic cancer 3 years before diagnosis: Study reveals breakthrough results
-
Tech1 week agoThey Wanted to Join Raya. They’ve Been on the Waiting List for Years
-
Tech5 days agoA Brain Implant for Depression Is About to Be Tested in Humans
-
Tech6 days agoAlmost 90% of women leave tech industry within 10 years | Computer Weekly
-
Tech1 week agoWhy Do I Like Dyson’s PencilVac So Much?
-
Fashion1 week agoNorth India cotton yarn steady despite continued push by spinners
-
Entertainment1 week agoAnne Hathaway makes shocking confession about Taylor Swift’s music
-
Sports5 days agoToulouse fall to first home defeat for a year | The Express Tribune
-
Sports1 week agoUS says Iran can play in Fifa World Cup but IRGC-linked individuals won’t be allowed