There was a big police presence outdoors Villa Park earlier than kick-off.
West Midlands Police confirmed six arrests had been made previous to kick-off forward of Aston Villa’s Europa League conflict with Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park.
Three of these had been arrested for “racially aggravated public order offences”, police stated. A 21-year-old man was arrested for “failing to adjust to an order to take away a face masks”, a 17-year-old boy for “failing to adjust to a dispersal order”, whereas one individual for “a breach of the peace”.
Pressure had been constructing within the lead-up to the sport after a blanket ban was issued which means no Maccabi followers might attend the fixture.
Greater than 700 cops lined the streets round Villa Park, whereas some Birmingham faculties closed early on Thursday as a consequence of concern of unrest.
Nervousness had been rising amongst Aston residents and locals, whereas one Villa fan stated the police presence was harking back to the Nineteen Seventies, the place he stated “hooliganism was fairly rife”.