🔗 Share this article Tel-Aviv Local Rivalry Postponed Following Serious Unrest Bloomfield Stadium in the city was filled with smoke prior to the planned kick-off Issued 19 October 2025, 22:27 BST Revised nine minutes prior The domestic football league rivalry match involving one local team and Hapoel Tel Aviv was cancelled before commencement on the weekend, after what police described as "crowd trouble and serious disturbances". "Many of smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices were thrown," authorities posted on digital channels, noting "this is not a sporting event, it constitutes disorder and significant aggression". A dozen civilians and multiple police personnel were harmed, authorities reported, while nine people were detained and numerous others held for interrogation. The disturbances come just a brief period after officials in the United Kingdom announced that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should not be allowed to go to the European competition fixture at Aston Villa in the UK next month because of safety concerns. The local club criticised the match postponement, accusing law enforcement of "preparing for a war, not a sporting event", even during discussions in the lead-up to the highly-anticipated fixture. "The disturbing situations around the stadium and due to the irresponsible and unacceptable judgment to abandon the fixture only show that the law enforcement has assumed command over the football," Hapoel Tel Aviv announced publicly. Their rivals has not yet commented, except to confirm the fixture was abandoned. The judgment by security authorities to exclude Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Birmingham game on 6 November has provoked widespread criticism. The British authorities has later announced it is attempting to reverse the ban and exploring what further support might be needed to make certain the fixture can be held without incident. Aston Villa notified their stadium staff that they could choose not to participate at the fixture, saying they recognized that some "may have concerns". On the previous day, West Midlands Police stated it supported the prohibition and categorized the match as "potentially dangerous" based on information and previous incidents. That included "serious fights and bigotry-related acts" involving Ajax and followers ahead of a match in the Netherlands in November 2024, when more than 60 people were taken into custody. There have been demonstrations at various games over the war in Gaza, such as when Israel competed against the Scandinavian team and the European team in current football World Cup qualifiers. Connected themes Soccer Further coverage Track your team with match updates Published 48 hours prior Tune into current football podcast Get football news sent straight to your smartphone Released Mid-August