Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Cancelled After Violent Riots
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was engulfed by smoke ahead of the planned beginning
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The domestic football league derby featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was cancelled before the start on Sunday, following what law enforcement characterized as "public disorder and major clashes".
"Dozens of smoke grenades and fireworks were thrown," law enforcement posted on digital channels, noting "this cannot be considered a football game, this is chaos and serious violence".
Twelve individuals and several law enforcement members were harmed, authorities reported, while nine people were detained and sixteen questioned by police.
The disturbances happen just days after authorities in the United Kingdom stated that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should not be allowed to go to the European competition game at Aston Villa in England next month because of security issues.
Hapoel Tel Aviv criticised the match postponement, claiming Israeli police of "getting ready for a conflict, not a sporting event", even during meetings in the build-up to the eagerly-awaited match.
"The disturbing incidents outside the stadium and following the ill-considered and outrageous judgment not to hold the match only demonstrate that the authorities has taken control of the game," the team stated officially.
The other team has declined to speak, merely stating the fixture was abandoned.
The decision by the local safety committee to exclude the team's supporters from the English fixture on November 6 has provoked extensive disapproval.
The UK government has later announced it is seeking to cancel the prohibition and considering what additional resources might be required to ensure the game can be held without incident.
Villa notified their matchday stewards that they could choose not to participate at the match, saying they recognized that some "may have concerns".
On earlier in the week, West Midlands Police said it backed the ban and designated the fixture as "concerning" according to reports and earlier occurrences.
That involved "physical confrontations and bigotry-related acts" among the Dutch team and their supporters ahead of a fixture in the Dutch capital in the previous year, when more than 60 people were detained.
There have been demonstrations at several games concerning the conflict in Gaza, for instance when the national team faced the Scandinavian team and Italy in latest international matches.
Associated subjects
- Soccer
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Released48 hours prior
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Issued16 August
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