Tel Aviv Derby Postponed Following Major Disturbances
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was filled with smoke ahead of the scheduled kick-off
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The domestic football league rivalry match involving one local team and their city rivals was abandoned ahead of kick-off on Sunday, due to what police described as "crowd trouble and serious disturbances".
"Dozens of smoke bombs and fireworks were thrown," law enforcement posted on social media, emphasizing "this isn't a sporting event, it represents chaos and major hostilities".
Twelve civilians and several police personnel were hurt, police said, while several individuals were detained and 16 held for interrogation.
The disturbances come just a brief period after representatives in the United Kingdom stated that supporters of the team ought to be banned to be present at the Europa League match at Aston Villa in England next month because of security issues.
The local club criticised the derby cancellation, accusing authorities of "getting ready for a battle, rather than a football match", including during discussions in the lead-up to the much-expected fixture.
"The shocking events around the venue and after the irresponsible and unacceptable judgment not to hold the game only show that the law enforcement has seized authority in the football," Hapoel Tel Aviv said in a statement.
Their rivals has not yet commented, except to confirm the match was cancelled.
The ruling by security authorities to prohibit club followers from the Birmingham game on 6 November has triggered broad condemnation.
The government officials has subsequently stated it is working to overturn the ban and investigating what additional resources might be necessary to make certain the game can be held without incident.
Villa told their stadium staff that they were not required to attend at the match, stating they recognized that some "might feel uneasy".
On the previous day, law enforcement confirmed it supported the ban and categorized the game as "high risk" due to information and past events.
That involved "serious fights and hate-crime offences" between Ajax and followers prior to a fixture in the Netherlands in the previous year, when more than 60 people were taken into custody.
There have been demonstrations at several games regarding the situation in Gaza, such as when the national team faced the Scandinavian team and the European team in recent qualification games.
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Posted2 days ago
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IssuedAugust 16
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