Tel-Aviv Derby Postponed Following Violent Riots
Bloomfield Stadium in the city was covered in haze ahead of the anticipated kick-off
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The Israeli Premier League rivalry match between one local team and their city rivals was called off before kick-off on Sunday, due to what authorities labeled as "crowd trouble and violent riots".
"Numerous of smoke bombs and flares were thrown," Israeli police stated on social media, emphasizing "this is not a football game, it constitutes unrest and major hostilities".
A dozen people and multiple police personnel were hurt, officials confirmed, while multiple persons were detained and 16 detained for questioning.
The clashes come just days after authorities in the Britain announced that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans cannot be permitted to be present at the European competition game at Aston Villa in the UK the following month because of safety concerns.
The local club criticised the game abandonment, alleging Israeli police of "getting ready for a battle, rather than a football match", including during meetings in the preparation to the highly-anticipated encounter.
"The shocking situations around the arena and following the irresponsible and outrageous decision to cancel the fixture only demonstrate that the law enforcement has seized authority in the game," the team announced publicly.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has remained silent, except to confirm the fixture was abandoned.
The ruling by security authorities to exclude Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the English fixture on November 6 has sparked widespread criticism.
The British authorities has later announced it is working to overturn the ban and investigating what further support might be needed to make certain the game can be conducted securely.
Aston Villa informed their matchday stewards that they did not have to work at the fixture, stating they acknowledged that some "could be worried".
On the previous day, law enforcement confirmed it endorsed the ban and classified the match as "high risk" based on intelligence and previous incidents.
That involved "violent clashes and bigotry-related acts" between the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans before a fixture in the Netherlands in November 2024, when more than 60 people were arrested.
There have been protests at multiple sporting events concerning the conflict in Gaza, such as when the national team played the Scandinavian team and the European team in latest football World Cup qualifiers.
Associated subjects
- The sport
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Released2 days ago
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IssuedAugust 16
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