Tel-Aviv Local Rivalry Cancelled After Serious Unrest

• Released
  19 October 2025, 22:27 BST

The domestic football league derby featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was cancelled prior to kick-off on the weekend, following what authorities described as "public disorder and major clashes".

"Dozens of smoke bombs and flares were set off," law enforcement announced on digital channels, adding "this isn't a match, it represents chaos and serious violence".

A dozen people and several officers were harmed, officials confirmed, while nine people were arrested and sixteen held for interrogation.

The disturbances come just days after representatives in the Britain said that supporters of the team cannot be permitted to attend the European competition match at Aston Villa in England in November because of security issues.

Hapoel Tel Aviv condemned the derby cancellation, alleging Israeli police of "gearing up for a battle, instead of a sporting event", including during meetings in the lead-up to the eagerly-awaited match.

"The shocking situations outside the venue and due to the irresponsible and outrageous decision to abandon the game only demonstrate that the Israel Police has assumed command over the sport," the club said in a statement.

Their rivals has not yet commented, only acknowledging the match was cancelled.

The ruling by the local safety committee to exclude club followers from the English fixture on November 6 has triggered extensive disapproval.

The government officials has subsequently stated it is attempting to reverse the prohibition and investigating what additional resources might be needed to ensure the game can be held without incident.

Aston Villa told their security personnel that they did not have to work at the match, saying they understood that some "may have concerns".

On Thursday, West Midlands Police confirmed it backed the prohibition and designated the match as "potentially dangerous" according to intelligence and earlier occurrences.

That involved "serious fights and hate-crime offences" involving the Dutch team and their supporters prior to a fixture in Amsterdam in the previous year, when numerous persons were detained.

There have been protests at multiple athletic competitions concerning the war in Gaza, including when Israel played the Scandinavian team and Italy in latest international matches.

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