Europa League in Germany
Major police operation at Maccabi game in Stuttgart
Updated 11/19/2025 – 1:57 p.mReading time: 1 min.
VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg are alarmed before their Europa League appearances against Maccabi Tel Aviv. There are currently no plans to exclude Maccabi fans, as was recently the case in Birmingham.
The Europa League game between VfB Stuttgart and Maccabi Tel Aviv on December 11th is getting closer – and with it the security precautions. Despite the lack of concrete information about the threat, the police and club’s planning is in full swing. The Stuttgart emergency services are supported by colleagues from Baden-Württemberg and other federal states.
In view of the tense situation in the Middle East and the run-up to Christmas, special vigilance is required, according to the police. The authority announced this at the request of the German Press Agency (dpa).
Unlike Aston Villa’s Europa League game, when Maccabi fans were not allowed into the stadium for security reasons, there are currently no plans to exclude visiting fans in Stuttgart. The police currently see no reason for this.
VfB Stuttgart explained: “VfB Stuttgart does not want to speak out in principle and as much as possible in favor of excluding fans of a visiting team.”
In addition to the exchange with UEFA and the security authorities, VfB also coordinates with SC Freiburg. The Breisgauers will also host Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League on January 22nd.
In the recent past, there have been repeated pro-Palestinian protests during appearances by Israeli teams in sports – including in football. The background is the war in the Gaza Strip. About a year ago there were serious riots during the Europa League duel between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv.