Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Cancelled Following Violent Riots
The sports venue in the city was covered in haze ahead of the anticipated beginning
-
Issued
The domestic football league derby featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was called off ahead of kick-off on Sunday, due to what police characterized as "civil unrest and major clashes".
"Numerous of smoke bombs and fireworks were set off," authorities posted on social media, noting "this cannot be considered a sporting event, it represents unrest and major hostilities".
A dozen civilians and three officers were hurt, police said, while multiple persons were taken into custody and numerous others detained for questioning.
The disturbances come just a brief period after authorities in the Britain announced that followers of the club should not be allowed to be present at the European competition match at the English club in Britain next month because of public safety worries.
One team condemned the match postponement, claiming authorities of "getting ready for a battle, not a football match", even during meetings in the build-up to the much-expected encounter.
"The shocking situations near the arena and after the irresponsible and scandalous ruling to abandon the fixture only prove that the authorities has seized authority in the game," the team stated officially.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has remained silent, merely stating the game was called off.
The decision by the local safety committee to prohibit Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Birmingham game on 6 November has sparked extensive disapproval.
The government officials has since said it is working to overturn the restriction and exploring what extra measures might be needed to make certain the fixture can be conducted securely.
Villa told their security personnel that they were not required to attend at the match, stating they acknowledged that some "could be worried".
On the previous day, local authorities said it supported the prohibition and classified the fixture as "high risk" based on intelligence and earlier occurrences.
That included "violent clashes and hate-crime offences" involving the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prior to a game in Amsterdam in late 2024, when numerous persons were arrested.
There have been demonstrations at several athletic competitions regarding the war in Gaza, including when Israel faced the Scandinavian team and the European team in current qualification games.
Related topics
- Soccer
Further coverage
-
-
Released2 days ago
-
-
-
PublishedMid-August
-
