Tel Aviv Derby Cancelled Due to Serious Unrest
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was covered in haze before the anticipated beginning
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Issued
The domestic football league derby featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was called off ahead of the start on the weekend, after what police labeled as "crowd trouble and violent riots".
"Many of smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices were launched," law enforcement announced on social media, emphasizing "this isn't a football game, this is unrest and serious violence".
A dozen people and multiple police personnel were hurt, authorities reported, while several individuals were detained and numerous others held for interrogation.
The unrest occur just a brief period after representatives in the United Kingdom said that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should not be allowed to attend the European competition match at the Birmingham team in the UK in November because of safety concerns.
Hapoel Tel Aviv censured the derby cancellation, accusing authorities of "getting ready for a battle, rather than a game", including during discussions in the build-up to the highly-anticipated fixture.
"The disturbing situations near the stadium and after the reckless and outrageous decision not to hold the fixture only show that the law enforcement has taken control of the game," the club stated officially.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has not yet commented, except to confirm the match was cancelled.
The judgment by the local safety committee to prohibit club followers from the Aston Villa match on November 6 has sparked broad condemnation.
The British authorities has subsequently stated it is attempting to reverse the prohibition and exploring what additional resources might be required to make certain the match can be held without incident.
Aston Villa informed their matchday stewards that they could choose not to participate at the game, explaining they acknowledged that some "might feel uneasy".
On the previous day, West Midlands Police said it endorsed the restriction and categorized the match as "potentially dangerous" according to reports and previous incidents.
That involved "violent clashes and discrimination incidents" among the Dutch team and followers before a fixture in the Netherlands in late 2024, when over sixty individuals were taken into custody.
There have been protests at various athletic competitions over the war in Gaza, including when Israel competed against Norway and Italy in current football World Cup qualifiers.
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Released48 hours prior
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IssuedMid-August
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