Tel Aviv Derby Postponed After Serious Unrest
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was covered in haze prior to the planned beginning
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The Israeli Premier League derby between one local team and Hapoel Tel Aviv was called off ahead of the start on Sunday, due to what law enforcement described as "crowd trouble and serious disturbances".
"Dozens of smoke devices and flares were set off," authorities announced on digital channels, noting "this isn't a sporting event, it constitutes disorder and serious violence".
Twelve people and several officers were injured, officials confirmed, while nine people were detained and 16 held for interrogation.
The unrest come just a short time after officials in the Britain said that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should not be allowed to go to the international tournament match at the Birmingham team in England in November because of security issues.
The local club criticised the match postponement, alleging law enforcement of "getting ready for a battle, not a football match", including during discussions in the preparation to the much-expected encounter.
"The alarming events around the stadium and following the irresponsible and scandalous ruling not to hold the match only demonstrate that the Israel Police has seized authority in the sport," the team stated officially.
The other team has not yet commented, merely stating the fixture was abandoned.
The decision by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to exclude the team's supporters from the Aston Villa match on 6 November has triggered extensive disapproval.
The British authorities has since said it is working to overturn the restriction and exploring what additional resources might be required to make certain the fixture can be hosted safely.
Villa notified their security personnel that they were not required to attend at the match, saying they understood that some "may have concerns".
On earlier in the week, West Midlands Police stated it endorsed the restriction and classified the match as "concerning" due to information and previous incidents.
That encompassed "violent clashes and bigotry-related acts" involving the Dutch team and followers before a match in Amsterdam in the previous year, when numerous persons were detained.
There have been rallies at various sporting events concerning the conflict in Gaza, including when the national team played the Scandinavian team and Italy in current international matches.
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