Tel-Aviv Derby Called Off Due to Major Disturbances
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was engulfed by haze ahead of the anticipated beginning
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The domestic football league rivalry match between one local team and their city rivals was called off before kick-off on the weekend, due to what law enforcement labeled as "public disorder and violent riots".
"Many of smoke grenades and fireworks were launched," Israeli police posted on digital channels, noting "this cannot be considered a match, this is unrest and serious violence".
Twelve people and multiple law enforcement members were injured, authorities reported, while several individuals were arrested and numerous others questioned by police.
The disturbances occur just a brief period after officials in the Britain said that followers of the club cannot be permitted to attend the European competition fixture at Aston Villa in Britain in November because of safety concerns.
Hapoel Tel Aviv condemned the match postponement, alleging Israeli police of "gearing up for a battle, not a game", including during talks in the lead-up to the highly-anticipated encounter.
"The alarming events outside the stadium and due to the ill-considered and unacceptable judgment to cancel the match only demonstrate that the Israel Police has assumed command over the game," the club stated officially.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has not yet commented, except to confirm the match was cancelled.
The judgment by security authorities to exclude club followers from the English fixture on November 6 has triggered widespread criticism.
The UK government has later announced it is seeking to cancel the restriction and considering what additional resources might be necessary to guarantee the match can be conducted securely.
Villa informed their stadium staff that they were not required to attend at the fixture, stating they recognized that some "could be worried".
On the previous day, local authorities confirmed it endorsed the ban and designated the fixture as "concerning" due to reports and previous incidents.
That involved "physical confrontations and bigotry-related acts" involving the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans before a fixture in the Netherlands in the previous year, when over sixty individuals were detained.
There have been rallies at several sporting events concerning the conflict in Gaza, for instance when Israel competed against Norway and the European team in recent qualification games.
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Released48 hours prior
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IssuedMid-August
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