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UK Police Arrest 11 Around Soccer Match between Aston Villa, Israeli Club Maccabi Tel Aviv

Pro Palestinian campaigners protest outside Villa Park, ahead of the Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
Pro Palestinian campaigners protest outside Villa Park, ahead of the Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
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UK Police Arrest 11 Around Soccer Match between Aston Villa, Israeli Club Maccabi Tel Aviv

Pro Palestinian campaigners protest outside Villa Park, ahead of the Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
Pro Palestinian campaigners protest outside Villa Park, ahead of the Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

British police said Friday that 11 people were arrested the previous night around the highly charged Europa League soccer match in Birmingham between English Premier League side Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, a match that saw fans of the Israeli team banned.

In an update Friday, West Midlands Police said five of those arrested were on suspicion of racially aggravated offenses. The others included failure to comply with orders and breaching the peace.

The police force deployed more than 700 officers around the Villa Park stadium over concerns of clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups, The AP news reported

Though tensions were high ahead of the match, there were no serious incidents.

A pro-Palestine protest was held outside the stadium before kick-off, where hundreds turned up with Palestinian flags and anti-Israeli banners.

There was a flashpoint as a woman holding an Israeli flag walked past but she was quickly escorted away by police before it escalated.

There was also a counter-Israeli protest at the other side of Villa Park, with protesters holding up signs reading “Keep antisemitism out of football." Five vehicles were driven past the ground carrying electronic billboards showing messages opposing antisemitism.

One of the messages, beside a Star of David, read “Ban hatred not fans” while another carried a quote from French soccer legend Thierry Henry saying football is not about goals but bringing people together.

The match, which Aston Villa won 2-0, was in the spotlight after officials in Birmingham decided last month to ban visiting fans from attending. The decision was widely criticized, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but lauded by others, who said Maccabi fans have a recent history of violence.

West Midlands Police said it had deemed the match to be high risk “based on current intelligence and previous incidents,” including violence and hate crimes that took place when Maccabi Tel Aviv played Ajax in Amsterdam last season.

Following the furor, Maccabi announced they would decline any away tickets for the clash,

The ban came at a time of heightened worries about antisemitism in Britain following a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue last month and calls from Palestinians and their supporters for a sports boycott of Israel over the war against Hamas in Gaza. Hopes that the recent ceasefire would ease tensions appear premature.

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Cobolli Downs Zverev to Set Up Munich Final with Shelton

Flavio Cobolli of Italy in action during his semi-finals match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the BMW Open tennis tournament in Munich, Germany, 18 April 2026. EPA/ANNA SZILAGYI
Flavio Cobolli of Italy in action during his semi-finals match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the BMW Open tennis tournament in Munich, Germany, 18 April 2026. EPA/ANNA SZILAGYI
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Cobolli Downs Zverev to Set Up Munich Final with Shelton

Flavio Cobolli of Italy in action during his semi-finals match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the BMW Open tennis tournament in Munich, Germany, 18 April 2026. EPA/ANNA SZILAGYI
Flavio Cobolli of Italy in action during his semi-finals match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the BMW Open tennis tournament in Munich, Germany, 18 April 2026. EPA/ANNA SZILAGYI

Flavio Cobolli ended top seed Alexander Zverev's Munich Open title defense on Saturday as the Italian breezed past the world number three in straight sets to book his place in the final against Ben Shelton.

Fourth seed Cobolli downed the home favorite 6-3, 6-3 in just under 70 minutes in their semi-final meeting.

The 23-year-old's blistering performance put paid to Zverev's hopes for a record fourth title on the red dirt in Munich.

"It was one of my best matches ever against one of my biggest friends on tour," AFP quoted Cobolli as saying.

"I'm a little bit shy when I play with a big player, but today I played one of my best performances and I'm really happy."

Cobolli edged ahead of Zverev when he broke the German to love in the fourth game of the first set.

Zverev struggled to make inroads on Cobolli's serve over the course of the match, and when the world number 16 pounced on his opponent's first service game of the second set the writing was on the wall for Zverev.

Two punishing crosscourt forehands followed up by a crisp volley to finish off game seven secured Cobolli a double break and gave him the chance to serve for the match.

But Zverev hit back immediately as he secured his first break points of the encounter, converting at the second time of asking to halt his opponent.

A brilliant forehand on the run handed Cobolli match point in the next game and when Zverev framed a deep return the match was decided.

Cobolli advances to his second final of the season, where he will look to add to the title he picked up in Acapulco in February.

Shelton, who later Saturday beat qualifier Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-4, will be the man standing in Cobolli's way as the American seeks to go one better than last year when he lost the Munich title match to Zverev.

Second seed Shelton broke in the sixth game of the first set to get his nose in front against the 166th-ranked Slovakian and then secured a crucial second break of the match to go 5-4 up in the final set.

The 23-year-old was on form with his serve as Molcan managed to engineer just one break point across the two sets, which Shelton saved.

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Eta Makes History as Bundesliga's 1st Female Coach, Dortmund Gives Bayern Chance to Seal Title

Union’s new head coach Marie-Louise Eta reacts during the Bundesliga soccer match 1. FC Union Berlin and VfL Wolfsburg in Berlin, Germany, 18 April 2026. EPA/CLEMENS BILAN
Union’s new head coach Marie-Louise Eta reacts during the Bundesliga soccer match 1. FC Union Berlin and VfL Wolfsburg in Berlin, Germany, 18 April 2026. EPA/CLEMENS BILAN
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Eta Makes History as Bundesliga's 1st Female Coach, Dortmund Gives Bayern Chance to Seal Title

Union’s new head coach Marie-Louise Eta reacts during the Bundesliga soccer match 1. FC Union Berlin and VfL Wolfsburg in Berlin, Germany, 18 April 2026. EPA/CLEMENS BILAN
Union’s new head coach Marie-Louise Eta reacts during the Bundesliga soccer match 1. FC Union Berlin and VfL Wolfsburg in Berlin, Germany, 18 April 2026. EPA/CLEMENS BILAN

Marie-Louise Eta has made history as the first female coach in the Bundesliga, but her Union Berlin team failed to live up to the occasion on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat to Wolfsburg.

She has four more games to ensure Union stays in the top division before she takes over Union’s women’s team for next season.

Patrick Wimmer and Dženan Pejčinović scored early in each half for the visitors to end their 12-game run without a win and revive their hopes of escaping relegation. Wolfsburg remains second to last but it’s just two points behind St. Pauli in the relegation playoff place with four rounds remaining.

Union ultimately paid the price for a lack of efficiency after creating the better chances and finishing strongly. Oliver Burke’s goal in the 85th minute was too late for the Köpenick-based team, The Associated Press reported.

Union, which has only won two games in 2026, fired Steffan Baumgart after last weekend’s loss at Heidenheim and finds itself just six points above the relegation zone.

Eta previously made history in 2023 as the first female assistant coach in the men’s Bundesliga, also at Union, and has been coaching the under-19 men’s team at the club.

Bayern can clinch the title on Sunday Andrej Kramarić scored two penalties for Hoffenheim in a 2-1 win over second-placed Borussia Dortmund. That opens the way for Bayern Munich to seal the title at home against Stuttgart on Sunday.

Bayern, which has five games remaining compared to Dortmund’s four, leads by 12 points and needs just one more point to be sure of finishing top.

Werder Bremen boosted its survival hopes with a 3-1 win at home against Hamburger SV in their northern derby. Bremen moved level with the visitors on 31 points, five points above St. Pauli.

Midtable Augsburg defeated Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 away and dented the home team’s hopes of Champions League qualification.

Eintracht Frankfurt hosted Leipzig later.

Sports

Morocco Frees Senegal Fans after Sentences Served

The Moroccan flag is seen in front of a destroyed building following the devastating earthquake in Marrakesh last month. (Reuters)
The Moroccan flag is seen in front of a destroyed building following the devastating earthquake in Marrakesh last month. (Reuters)
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Morocco Frees Senegal Fans after Sentences Served

The Moroccan flag is seen in front of a destroyed building following the devastating earthquake in Marrakesh last month. (Reuters)
The Moroccan flag is seen in front of a destroyed building following the devastating earthquake in Marrakesh last month. (Reuters)

Morocco on Saturday released three Senegalese fans from jail after they completed a three-month prison sentence for participating in the violence that broke out during the Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, an AFP journalist saw.

The trio left Al Arjat 2 prison, northeast of Rabat, in a police vehicle to go to a police station before being released.

Upon leaving the police station, the three smiling Senegalese fans were greeted by members of the Senegalese embassy. One said to AFP, "dima Maroc, dima Maghrib" ("long live Morocco").

Senegalese defense lawyer Patrick Kabou thanked "diplomatic and consular representation for their efforts" in a post on X.

On the eve of the trio's release, he asked that the public "support them and, above all, help them come to terms with the initial shock of leaving prison".

In connection with the same case, 15 other Senegalese fans remain incarcerated after receiving sentences ranging from six months to one year and which were upheld on appeal on Monday.

Detained since the January 18 final, won by Senegal but later awarded on appeal to hosts Morocco, they were charged with "hooliganism," an offence including acts of violence, notably against law enforcement, as well as damage to sports facilities, invading the pitch and throwing projectiles.

A Frenchman of Algerian origin was also released on Saturday after serving three months in prison for throwing a water bottle during the final.