Bloomfield Stadium in the city was filled with smoke prior to the planned start
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Published
The Israeli Premier League local clash involving Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was cancelled prior to kick-off on Sunday, after what police characterized as "crowd trouble and violent riots".
"Many of smoke bombs and flares were launched," law enforcement announced on digital channels, emphasizing "this isn't a sporting event, it constitutes disorder and significant aggression".
A dozen civilians and multiple officers were harmed, officials confirmed, while multiple persons were arrested and numerous others detained for questioning.
The clashes happen just days after authorities in the United Kingdom announced that supporters of the team cannot be permitted to attend the European competition fixture at Aston Villa in England in November because of safety concerns.
The local club censured the derby cancellation, claiming law enforcement of "gearing up for a war, rather than a sporting event", including during discussions in the lead-up to the eagerly-awaited match.
"The alarming situations around the arena and following the irresponsible and outrageous ruling not to hold the game only demonstrate that the authorities has taken control of the game," Hapoel Tel Aviv announced publicly.
The other team has declined to speak, only acknowledging the game was called off.
The ruling by security authorities to exclude club followers from the Aston Villa match on 6 November has sparked extensive disapproval.
The UK government has since said it is seeking to cancel the restriction and exploring what extra measures might be necessary to guarantee the game can be conducted securely.
Villa told their matchday stewards that they could choose not to participate at the fixture, stating they acknowledged that some "may have concerns".
On Thursday, West Midlands Police said it endorsed the prohibition and designated the game as "concerning" based on reports and earlier occurrences.
That included "physical confrontations and bigotry-related acts" between the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prior to a match in the Netherlands in November 2024, when over sixty individuals were arrested.
There have been demonstrations at multiple athletic competitions concerning the situation in Gaza, such as when Israel competed against Norway and Italy in current football World Cup qualifiers.
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