Tel Aviv Derby Postponed Following Serious Unrest

• Released
  October 19, 2025 at 10:27 PM BST

The Israeli Premier League rivalry match featuring Maccabi Tel Aviv and their city rivals was cancelled ahead of the start on the weekend, due to what authorities characterized as "public disorder and major clashes".

"Dozens of smoke devices and flares were launched," Israeli police stated on social media, adding "this is not a sporting event, it represents chaos and serious violence".

A dozen civilians and three police personnel were injured, authorities reported, while several individuals were detained and sixteen detained for questioning.

The unrest happen just a brief period after representatives in the Britain said that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans cannot be permitted to attend the European competition fixture at the English club in the UK next month because of public safety worries.

One team censured the game abandonment, accusing law enforcement of "preparing for a conflict, rather than a game", particularly during talks in the preparation to the highly-anticipated encounter.

"The shocking situations around the stadium and due to the irresponsible and unacceptable ruling to cancel the match only show that the Israel Police has assumed command over the football," the club announced publicly.

The other team has declined to speak, except to confirm the fixture was abandoned.

The ruling by the local safety committee to ban club followers from the Aston Villa match on 6 November has sparked extensive disapproval.

The British authorities has later announced it is seeking to cancel the ban and considering what additional resources might be required to guarantee the game can be hosted safely.

Aston Villa informed their matchday stewards that they could choose not to participate at the fixture, explaining they recognized that some "could be worried".

On the previous day, law enforcement stated it endorsed the prohibition and designated the match as "potentially dangerous" according to information and previous incidents.

That included "serious fights and bigotry-related acts" between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prior to a game in the Netherlands in late 2024, when over sixty individuals were taken into custody.

There have been rallies at multiple games over the situation in Gaza, such as when the national team played the Scandinavian team and Italy in current qualification games.

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