Tel Aviv Derby Cancelled Due to Serious Unrest
The sports venue in Tel Aviv was covered in haze before the anticipated beginning
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Published
The Israeli Premier League rivalry match featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was abandoned prior to commencement on the weekend, following what law enforcement labeled as "civil unrest and serious disturbances".
"Numerous of smoke devices and fireworks were set off," Israeli police stated on social media, adding "this isn't a match, it represents unrest and major hostilities".
A dozen civilians and three police personnel were hurt, police said, while several individuals were taken into custody and sixteen detained for questioning.
The unrest come just days after representatives in the United Kingdom stated that followers of the club should not be allowed to go to the international tournament fixture at the Birmingham team in England the following month because of security issues.
The local club condemned the match postponement, alleging Israeli police of "gearing up for a conflict, instead of a football match", including during talks in the preparation to the eagerly-awaited fixture.
"The alarming events around the stadium and following the irresponsible and unacceptable ruling not to hold the match only prove that the Israel Police has seized authority in the game," the team said in a statement.
Their rivals has not yet commented, except to confirm the match was cancelled.
The decision by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to prohibit club followers from the Aston Villa match on the sixth of November has sparked broad condemnation.
The government officials has later announced it is working to overturn the ban and investigating what extra measures might be required to ensure the game can be conducted securely.
Villa notified their stadium staff that they did not have to work at the game, explaining they understood that some "may have concerns".
On Thursday, local authorities said it backed the ban and classified the game as "potentially dangerous" based on information and past events.
That included "physical confrontations and hate-crime offences" between Ajax and followers prior to a match in Amsterdam in late 2024, when more than 60 people were detained.
There have been demonstrations at several games concerning the conflict in Gaza, such as when Israel played Norway and the European team in current international matches.
Associated subjects
- Soccer
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Released2 days ago
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ReleasedAugust 16
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