🔗 Share this article Tel-Aviv Local Rivalry Postponed After Violent Riots The sports venue in Tel Aviv was engulfed by haze ahead of the anticipated beginning Issued 19 October 2025, 22:27 BST Revised nine minutes prior The domestic football league derby between Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was called off prior to commencement on the weekend, due to what law enforcement characterized as "crowd trouble and violent riots". "Dozens of smoke devices and pyrotechnic devices were launched," law enforcement posted on social media, adding "this cannot be considered a football game, it constitutes chaos and significant aggression". Twelve people and several officers were harmed, officials confirmed, while several individuals were taken into custody and numerous others questioned by police. The clashes occur just days after authorities in the UK said that supporters of the team should not be allowed to go to the international tournament match at Aston Villa in England next month because of security issues. One team censured the derby cancellation, claiming authorities of "preparing for a battle, rather than a game", particularly during talks in the build-up to the highly-anticipated encounter. "The shocking events near the stadium and following the irresponsible and outrageous decision to cancel the fixture only prove that the authorities has seized authority in the football," the club stated officially. Maccabi Tel Aviv has remained silent, except to confirm the fixture was abandoned. The decision by the local safety committee to prohibit club followers from the Birmingham game on 6 November has provoked extensive disapproval. The UK government has subsequently stated it is working to overturn the prohibition and exploring what additional resources might be required to guarantee the match can be conducted securely. The English club notified their security personnel that they could choose not to participate at the fixture, explaining they acknowledged that some "might feel uneasy". On the previous day, law enforcement stated it supported the prohibition and classified the game as "high risk" due to intelligence and previous incidents. That included "violent clashes and hate-crime offences" among the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ahead of a fixture in Amsterdam in November 2024, when over sixty individuals were detained. There have been protests at several games regarding the situation in Gaza, for instance when Israel faced Norway and the European team in current football World Cup qualifiers. Related topics The sport Further coverage Track your team with match updates Released 2 days ago Tune into current sports show Obtain match information delivered directly to your mobile device Issued 16 August