Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Cancelled Following Major Disturbances
The sports venue in the city was filled with smoke ahead of the scheduled start
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The Israeli Premier League derby featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was abandoned prior to commencement on Sunday, following what law enforcement described as "public disorder and serious disturbances".
"Dozens of smoke grenades and flares were set off," authorities posted on social media, emphasizing "this cannot be considered a sporting event, this is chaos and serious violence".
Twelve individuals and several law enforcement members were harmed, police said, while several individuals were arrested and sixteen detained for questioning.
The clashes come just a brief period after authorities in the Britain stated that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ought to be banned to go to the European competition match at Aston Villa in Britain next month because of safety concerns.
Hapoel Tel Aviv criticised the match postponement, alleging Israeli police of "gearing up for a conflict, rather than a football match", even during meetings in the lead-up to the eagerly-awaited match.
"The alarming situations around the stadium and following the ill-considered and unacceptable ruling not to hold the game only demonstrate that the law enforcement has seized authority in the game," Hapoel Tel Aviv said in a statement.
The other team has remained silent, except to confirm the match was cancelled.
The judgment by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to prohibit club followers from the Aston Villa match on 6 November has triggered widespread criticism.
The UK government has subsequently stated it is seeking to cancel the restriction and considering what further support might be necessary to make certain the fixture can be held without incident.
The English club told their security personnel that they could choose not to participate at the match, saying they acknowledged that some "could be worried".
On earlier in the week, West Midlands Police confirmed it supported the prohibition and classified the fixture as "high risk" due to intelligence and previous incidents.
That involved "serious fights and hate-crime offences" among the Dutch team and their supporters prior to a game in Amsterdam in late 2024, when over sixty individuals were taken into custody.
There have been rallies at several sporting events concerning the conflict in Gaza, for instance when Israel competed against the Scandinavian team and Italy in latest qualification games.
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Posted2 days ago
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ReleasedMid-August
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