Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Called Off After Major Disturbances
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was filled with smoke ahead of the scheduled start
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The Israeli Premier League derby featuring one local team and their city rivals was cancelled prior to commencement on the weekend, due to what law enforcement labeled as "public disorder and major clashes".
"Numerous of smoke grenades and fireworks were thrown," law enforcement announced on online platforms, adding "this isn't a match, it constitutes chaos and significant aggression".
Twelve individuals and several police personnel were harmed, officials confirmed, while multiple persons were taken into custody and numerous others held for interrogation.
The disturbances come just days after authorities in the Britain said that supporters of the team should not be allowed to go to the Europa League fixture at Aston Villa in England next month because of public safety worries.
One team criticised the derby cancellation, accusing Israeli police of "preparing for a conflict, instead of a sporting event", even during talks in the build-up to the highly-anticipated encounter.
"The alarming situations around the stadium and following the irresponsible and outrageous ruling not to hold the fixture only show that the Israel Police has seized authority in the game," the club said in a statement.
The other team has remained silent, only acknowledging the game was called off.
The ruling by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to prohibit club followers from the English fixture on the sixth of November has sparked broad condemnation.
The British authorities has later announced it is working to overturn the ban and considering what further support might be necessary to ensure the fixture can be held without incident.
Aston Villa told their stadium staff that they did not have to work at the game, saying they understood that some "may have concerns".
On the previous day, local authorities said it endorsed the prohibition and classified the game as "potentially dangerous" due to information and previous incidents.
That included "violent clashes and bigotry-related acts" involving Ajax and their supporters ahead of a fixture in the Netherlands in late 2024, when over sixty individuals were detained.
There have been rallies at multiple athletic competitions regarding the conflict in Gaza, such as when Israel played the Scandinavian team and the European team in current football World Cup qualifiers.
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Publishedrecently
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Issued16 August
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