Tel-Aviv Local Rivalry Postponed Following Major Disturbances
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was engulfed by haze before the planned beginning
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The Israeli Premier League derby involving Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was called off before commencement on Sunday, following what authorities described as "public disorder and violent riots".
"Many of smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices were launched," authorities posted on digital channels, noting "this cannot be considered a match, it represents chaos and major hostilities".
Twelve people and several police personnel were injured, officials confirmed, while nine people were detained and 16 detained for questioning.
The unrest come just days after representatives in the Britain said that supporters of the team cannot be permitted to go to the Europa League fixture at the Birmingham team in the UK in November because of security issues.
Hapoel Tel Aviv censured the derby cancellation, alleging authorities of "preparing for a war, not a sporting event", including during discussions in the build-up to the highly-anticipated encounter.
"The disturbing situations outside the stadium and due to the irresponsible and scandalous ruling to abandon the match only prove that the authorities has taken control of the game," the team said in a statement.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has remained silent, merely stating the match was cancelled.
The decision by security authorities to exclude the team's supporters from the Aston Villa match on the sixth of November has sparked extensive disapproval.
The UK government has since said it is seeking to cancel the prohibition and considering what further support might be required to ensure the match can be hosted safely.
The English club notified their security personnel that they were not required to attend at the match, saying they recognized that some "could be worried".
On the previous day, law enforcement said it supported the ban and designated the match as "concerning" according to intelligence and previous incidents.
That encompassed "violent clashes and bigotry-related acts" involving the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prior to a match in the Dutch capital in late 2024, when numerous persons were detained.
There have been demonstrations at various games regarding the war in Gaza, including when Israel competed against the Scandinavian team and the European team in current international matches.
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