Tel Aviv Derby Called Off Following Major Disturbances
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was engulfed by haze prior to the scheduled start
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Published
The domestic football league local clash involving one local team and Hapoel Tel Aviv was abandoned ahead of kick-off on the weekend, following what law enforcement characterized as "civil unrest and serious disturbances".
"Numerous of smoke bombs and flares were set off," authorities announced on digital channels, adding "this isn't a match, it represents unrest and significant aggression".
A dozen individuals and three law enforcement members were harmed, police said, while multiple persons were taken into custody and 16 questioned by police.
The unrest come just a brief period after officials in the UK announced that followers of the club should not be allowed to be present at the international tournament fixture at the Birmingham team in England the following month because of safety concerns.
The local club criticised the game abandonment, accusing law enforcement of "getting ready for a conflict, not a game", particularly during discussions in the preparation to the eagerly-awaited encounter.
"The alarming events outside the arena and following the irresponsible and outrageous judgment to cancel the match only show that the Israel Police has taken control of the game," Hapoel Tel Aviv said in a statement.
Their rivals has not yet commented, except to confirm the fixture was abandoned.
The judgment by security authorities to prohibit club followers from the Birmingham game on 6 November has triggered broad condemnation.
The British authorities has since said it is seeking to cancel the prohibition and considering what further support might be required to guarantee the fixture can be held without incident.
Villa told their stadium staff that they were not required to attend at the fixture, explaining they understood that some "may have concerns".
On the previous day, West Midlands Police stated it endorsed the restriction and classified the match as "concerning" due to information and past events.
That included "physical confrontations and bigotry-related acts" involving the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ahead of a fixture in the Netherlands in late 2024, when over sixty individuals were detained.
There have been protests at multiple sporting events concerning the war in Gaza, such as when Israel faced Norway and Italy in latest football World Cup qualifiers.
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