Tel-Aviv Derby Cancelled Due to Serious Unrest
The sports venue in Tel Aviv was engulfed by smoke prior to the planned beginning
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The domestic football league rivalry match featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was cancelled before commencement on the weekend, following what law enforcement described as "civil unrest and major clashes".
"Many of smoke grenades and fireworks were thrown," Israeli police stated on digital channels, emphasizing "this is not a football game, this is unrest and major hostilities".
A dozen people and three police personnel were harmed, police said, while nine people were taken into custody and numerous others detained for questioning.
The disturbances occur just a brief period after authorities in the Britain stated that followers of the club cannot be permitted to attend the European competition game at the Birmingham team in Britain next month because of security issues.
Hapoel Tel Aviv condemned the derby cancellation, accusing law enforcement of "getting ready for a battle, instead of a football match", particularly during talks in the preparation to the eagerly-awaited encounter.
"The shocking incidents around the arena and due to the reckless and unacceptable decision to cancel the game only demonstrate that the authorities has seized authority in the game," the team announced publicly.
Their rivals has not yet commented, merely stating the match was cancelled.
The decision by security authorities to ban the team's supporters from the English fixture on the sixth of November has triggered broad condemnation.
The UK government has subsequently stated it is seeking to cancel the ban and investigating what further support might be needed to guarantee the match can be held without incident.
The English club notified their security personnel that they could choose not to participate at the fixture, explaining they acknowledged that some "could be worried".
On the previous day, law enforcement confirmed it endorsed the prohibition and categorized the game as "concerning" due to reports and earlier occurrences.
That encompassed "physical confrontations and hate-crime offences" involving the Dutch team and their supporters before a game in Amsterdam in November 2024, when more than 60 people were arrested.
There have been rallies at multiple sporting events concerning the situation in Gaza, such as when the national team competed against the Scandinavian team and Italy in latest qualification games.
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Released2 days ago
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Published16 August
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