🔗 Share this article Tel Aviv Derby Postponed Due to Serious Unrest The sports venue in Tel Aviv was filled with haze ahead of the anticipated beginning Issued 19 October 2025, 22:27 BST Revised nine minutes prior The Israeli Premier League derby between Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was called off before the start on the weekend, following what law enforcement characterized as "crowd trouble and major clashes". "Numerous of smoke devices and fireworks were set off," Israeli police announced on digital channels, noting "this is not a sporting event, this is chaos and serious violence". A dozen civilians and multiple police personnel were harmed, police said, while multiple persons were taken into custody and 16 held for interrogation. The disturbances come just a brief period after officials in the United Kingdom announced that followers of the club ought to be banned to attend the European competition fixture at Aston Villa in England in November because of safety concerns. Hapoel Tel Aviv censured the game abandonment, alleging Israeli police of "getting ready for a conflict, not a game", even during talks in the lead-up to the much-expected match. "The alarming events around the venue and after the ill-considered and scandalous judgment not to hold the game only demonstrate that the Israel Police has assumed command over the game," the club announced publicly. Maccabi Tel Aviv has remained silent, only acknowledging the match was cancelled. The ruling by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to ban club followers from the Aston Villa match on 6 November has triggered extensive disapproval. The UK government has since said it is working to overturn the ban and exploring what extra measures might be needed to guarantee the game can be conducted securely. Villa told their stadium staff that they did not have to work at the match, saying they recognized that some "might feel uneasy". On Thursday, West Midlands Police stated it supported the ban and categorized the fixture as "potentially dangerous" based on intelligence and previous incidents. That involved "physical confrontations and discrimination incidents" among Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans before a fixture in the Dutch capital in November 2024, when over sixty individuals were detained. There have been rallies at various sporting events over the war in Gaza, including when Israel faced the Scandinavian team and the European team in current international matches. Related topics The sport Further coverage Support your side with match updates Published 48 hours prior Hear the most recent match analysis Get football news delivered directly to your phone Released August 16