Tel-Aviv Local Rivalry Called Off After Major Disturbances
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was engulfed by smoke ahead of the scheduled beginning
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Released
The domestic football league derby involving one local team and their city rivals was cancelled prior to the start on Sunday, after what authorities described as "public disorder and violent riots".
"Dozens of smoke bombs and pyrotechnic devices were launched," authorities posted on social media, adding "this is not a match, it represents disorder and serious violence".
A dozen individuals and three officers were injured, authorities reported, while multiple persons were taken into custody and 16 held for interrogation.
The clashes occur just a brief period after authorities in the UK stated that followers of the club should not be allowed to attend the European competition game at the Birmingham team in the UK next month because of safety concerns.
The local club criticised the derby cancellation, accusing Israeli police of "gearing up for a war, rather than a sporting event", even during meetings in the build-up to the much-expected fixture.
"The alarming events around the stadium and following the ill-considered and unacceptable ruling not to hold the match only demonstrate that the Israel Police has taken control of the football," Hapoel Tel Aviv stated officially.
Their rivals has not yet commented, except to confirm the game was called off.
The ruling by security authorities to prohibit Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the English fixture on the sixth of November has sparked widespread criticism.
The government officials has since said it is working to overturn the prohibition and investigating what additional resources might be necessary to guarantee the match can be held without incident.
Aston Villa informed their matchday stewards that they could choose not to participate at the fixture, saying they acknowledged that some "might feel uneasy".
On the previous day, West Midlands Police said it backed the restriction and designated the fixture as "high risk" based on intelligence and past events.
That involved "serious fights and bigotry-related acts" among the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ahead of a match in Amsterdam in the previous year, when over sixty individuals were detained.
There have been demonstrations at multiple athletic competitions concerning the conflict in Gaza, such as when Israel faced Norway and the European team in recent football World Cup qualifiers.
Associated subjects
- Football
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Released48 hours prior
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IssuedAugust 16
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