There was a heavy police presence outside Villa Park before kick-off.
West Midlands Police have confirmed six arrests were made before Aston Villa’s Europa League clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv kicked off at Villa Park.
Three of them were arrested for “racially aggravated public order offences”, police said. A 21-year-old man was arrested for “non-compliance with a mask removal order”, a 17-year-old boy for “non-compliance with a dispersal order”, and one person for “disturbing public order”.
Tensions had risen in the run-up to the match after a blanket ban was issued, meaning no Maccabi fans could attend the match.
More than 700 police officers lined the streets around Villa Park, while some Birmingham schools closed early Thursday over fears of unrest.
Anxiety was growing among Aston residents and locals, while one Villa fan said the police presence was reminiscent of the 1970s, where he said “hooliganism was quite widespread”.
