Tel Aviv Derby Cancelled Due to Violent Riots
The sports venue in the city was covered in smoke before the planned beginning
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Published
The domestic football league rivalry match involving one local team and Hapoel Tel Aviv was abandoned ahead of the start on the weekend, following what authorities described as "crowd trouble and serious disturbances".
"Many of smoke bombs and fireworks were launched," authorities stated on online platforms, emphasizing "this is not a football game, it constitutes disorder and major hostilities".
A dozen people and several law enforcement members were harmed, police said, while multiple persons were taken into custody and numerous others held for interrogation.
The clashes happen just days after authorities in the United Kingdom said that followers of the club ought to be banned to go to the international tournament fixture at the English club in Britain in November because of public safety worries.
The local club criticised the game abandonment, accusing authorities of "preparing for a conflict, instead of a sporting event", particularly during talks in the build-up to the highly-anticipated fixture.
"The alarming events near the arena and after the reckless and unacceptable ruling to abandon the match only demonstrate that the Israel Police has seized authority in the sport," Hapoel Tel Aviv said in a statement.
Their rivals has declined to speak, only acknowledging the match was cancelled.
The decision by security authorities to ban the team's supporters from the Aston Villa match on the sixth of November has provoked widespread criticism.
The British authorities has subsequently stated it is attempting to reverse the restriction and investigating what extra measures might be required to make certain the game can be held without incident.
The English club notified their security personnel that they did not have to work at the fixture, explaining they acknowledged that some "might feel uneasy".
On earlier in the week, law enforcement confirmed it backed the ban and classified the game as "concerning" according to information and previous incidents.
That included "physical confrontations and hate-crime offences" involving the Dutch team and their supporters prior to a game in the Dutch capital in late 2024, when more than 60 people were detained.
There have been rallies at various athletic competitions over the conflict in Gaza, including when the national team competed against the Scandinavian team and the European team in current football World Cup qualifiers.
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