The head of West Midlands Police, Chief Constable Craig Guildford, has defended the intelligence that led to the decision to ban fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending an away match against Aston Villa. Despite criticism from Dutch authorities and questions from Members of Parliament, Guildford insisted he trusts the integrity of his officers and the information used to justify the ban, which cited concerns over potential violence and hate crimes.

Assistant Chief Constable Mike O'Hara explained that intelligence suggested local vigilante groups posed a threat to the Israeli team's supporters, and that open source research was part of the police's standard intelligence-gathering process. The ban was met with backlash from political leaders and the public, but police leadership maintained there was no political influence on the decision.

The force has since increased its engagement with the local Jewish community, aiming to build stronger relationships following the controversy. Guildford emphasized that all intelligence was shared with oversight bodies and committed to transparency in reviewing the decision-making process.