A broader set of senior officers and staff are under investigation for potential misconduct related to an inaccurate briefing document that framed risks around Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters and influenced a ban, with questions about balancing operational needs and community engagement.

The IOPC alleges that the briefing may have been mishandled, with potential misrepresentation and a failure to ensure accuracy and impartiality before it was presented to the Birmingham Safety Advisory Group and used to justify the ban.

This inquiry follows prior controversy and ongoing scrutiny of West Midlands Police’s handling of the ban and the safety assessments surrounding the match.

An erroneous report led to the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans traveling to the Europa League game against Aston Villa at Villa Park due to safety concerns.

West Midlands Police’s temporary Deputy Chief Constable Jen Mattinson disclosed a voluntary referral to the IOPC on her first day in the role and pledged cooperation with the investigation.

Mattinson said she referred concerns to the IOPC voluntarily on taking the post and emphasized efforts to rebuild public trust and full cooperation with the watchdog.

The ban provoked political backlash, with then-prime minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood questioning leadership and confidence in Guildford, who subsequently announced his retirement amid a political and media frenzy.

Eight errors were found in the briefing report, including overstating disorder by Maccabi supporters in Amsterdam in 2024 and citing a non-existent Maccabi vs. West Ham match allegedly produced by Microsoft Copilot.

Investigators have reviewed more than 600 pieces of evidence, including operational documents, intelligence, minutes, and correspondence, to determine whether police professional standards were breached and whether any misconduct proceedings should follow.

Former chief constable Craig Guildford, along with three other officers, faces investigation for potential gross misconduct over the inaccuracy-filled briefing that led to the ban.

The inquiry also examines whether intelligence was mishandled, including AI-sourced information that may have been inaccurate and not properly corrected before briefing SAG members.

The briefing was criticized for presenting an imbalanced view of risk from away fans, raising concerns about due diligence and scrutiny of the document.