Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Cancelled Due to Major Disturbances
The sports venue in the city was covered in smoke ahead of the anticipated kick-off
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The Israeli Premier League local clash involving one local team and their city rivals was called off ahead of commencement on Sunday, after what law enforcement labeled as "crowd trouble and violent riots".
"Dozens of smoke bombs and fireworks were thrown," law enforcement announced on digital channels, noting "this cannot be considered a football game, this is disorder and serious violence".
A dozen people and three police personnel were hurt, authorities reported, while several individuals were taken into custody and numerous others held for interrogation.
The clashes come just a short time after authorities in the UK announced that supporters of the team should not be allowed to go to the Europa League fixture at the English club in the UK next month because of public safety worries.
The local club criticised the derby cancellation, alleging Israeli police of "preparing for a war, instead of a football match", even during discussions in the lead-up to the eagerly-awaited fixture.
"The shocking situations near the stadium and following the reckless and outrageous judgment to abandon the match only show that the authorities has seized authority in the football," Hapoel Tel Aviv announced publicly.
The other team has declined to speak, merely stating the fixture was abandoned.
The ruling by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to ban the team's supporters from the Birmingham game on 6 November has sparked extensive disapproval.
The UK government has later announced it is seeking to cancel the restriction and investigating what additional resources might be needed to ensure the match can be conducted securely.
The English club told their security personnel that they were not required to attend at the game, saying they recognized that some "may have concerns".
On the previous day, West Midlands Police stated it backed the prohibition and categorized the match as "concerning" according to reports and past events.
That included "serious fights and discrimination incidents" among Ajax and followers ahead of a match in the Dutch capital in the previous year, when numerous persons were detained.
There have been rallies at various sporting events regarding the situation in Gaza, for instance when the national team competed against Norway and the European team in current qualification games.
Associated subjects
- Soccer
Additional reports
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Released2 days ago
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PublishedAugust 16
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