WATCH: West Midlands Police say Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban was to ‘protect the public’ during inquiry

West Midlands Police defended their decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, saying intelligence and threat assessments had been reviewed in detail.Officials said open-source research and conversations with the Dutch police informed the risk assessment, alongside reports of local tensions and threats.The force stressed the ban was a precaution to protect the public, citing previous experience with high-risk fixtures.West Midlands Police acknowledged mistakes in sourcing some information but said overall the decision was based on a “reasonable position” from multiple intelligence streams.WATCH THE CLIP ABOVE FOR MORE