Pressure mounted Friday on police authorities in the English city of Birmingham to reverse a ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans attending a Europa League game at Aston Villa next month over security concerns, a decision that drew widespread condemnation.

Behind the scenes, the government was seeking to resolve the row, which comes at a time of heightened worries about antisemitism in Britain following a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue earlier this month and calls from Palestinians and their supporters for a sports boycott of Israel over its conduct of the war against Hamas in Gaza.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the police recommendation to bar the visiting team’s fans from the Nov. 6 game was “the wrong decision” and that “the role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”

Starmer spokesman Geraint Ellis said Friday that “the prime minister has been angered by the decision” and the government was working urgently to overturn it.

Simon Foster, the elected official in Birmingham responsible for overseeing the local police force and holding it to account, also urged an “immediate review,” while local Mayor Richard Parker called on authorities to find “a workable solution” that may involve the government covering some policing costs.

Premier League team Aston Villa said Thursday that police had informed the club that “they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.”

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.

Fan bans are not unheard of in European soccer, but are typically based on a history of violence between fans of rival clubs. There is no history of violence between Aston Villa and Maccabi fans.

However, Maccabi fans have been increasingly in the spotlight over the past year or so, partly linked to the war in Gaza. Most notably, Maccabi fans clashed violently with city residents in Amsterdam last season when the team visited for a Europa League game against Ajax.

Dozens were arrested and five people were treated in hospital following the night of violence which was condemned as antisemitic by authorities and which also saw some supporters of the Israeli team chanting anti-Arab slogans as they headed to the stadium.