Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Postponed Due to Major Disturbances
The sports venue in the city was filled with smoke prior to the scheduled start
-
Published
The Israeli Premier League rivalry match featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was abandoned before the start on the weekend, after what law enforcement labeled as "civil unrest and serious disturbances".
"Many of smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices were thrown," law enforcement stated on online platforms, adding "this cannot be considered a sporting event, it represents disorder and serious violence".
Twelve civilians and three police personnel were injured, police said, while multiple persons were detained and sixteen questioned by police.
The unrest occur just a short time after representatives in the Britain announced that supporters of the team ought to be banned to be present at the international tournament game at Aston Villa in England in November because of security issues.
The local club criticised the match postponement, accusing law enforcement of "gearing up for a conflict, rather than a sporting event", particularly during meetings in the lead-up to the eagerly-awaited encounter.
"The shocking incidents around the arena and due to the reckless and unacceptable decision not to hold the fixture only show that the authorities has taken control of the sport," Hapoel Tel Aviv stated officially.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has not yet commented, except to confirm the game was called off.
The ruling by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to exclude Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Aston Villa match on November 6 has triggered widespread criticism.
The government officials has later announced it is seeking to cancel the ban and investigating what additional resources might be necessary to guarantee the fixture can be hosted safely.
Villa informed their security personnel that they could choose not to participate at the match, saying they recognized that some "could be worried".
On Thursday, local authorities stated it backed the restriction and designated the game as "potentially dangerous" according to intelligence and earlier occurrences.
That encompassed "violent clashes and hate-crime offences" involving the Dutch team and their supporters prior to a game in the Netherlands in the previous year, when over sixty individuals were taken into custody.
There have been protests at several athletic competitions regarding the situation in Gaza, including when the national team played Norway and Italy in recent football World Cup qualifiers.
Related topics
- Soccer
Further coverage
-
-
Released2 days ago
-
-
-
IssuedAugust 16
-
