🔗 Share this article Tel-Aviv Local Rivalry Called Off After Violent Riots Bloomfield Stadium in the city was covered in smoke prior to the scheduled kick-off Issued October 19, 2025 at 10:27 PM BST Updated 9 minutes ago The domestic football league local clash involving Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was called off ahead of the start on Sunday, after what law enforcement labeled as "civil unrest and violent riots". "Dozens of smoke devices and fireworks were thrown," Israeli police posted on online platforms, noting "this cannot be considered a match, it constitutes unrest and major hostilities". Twelve individuals and three law enforcement members were harmed, authorities reported, while nine people were taken into custody and numerous others questioned by police. The clashes occur just a short time after authorities in the UK stated that followers of the club should not be allowed to go to the Europa League match at the English club in Britain the following month because of security issues. Hapoel Tel Aviv condemned the game abandonment, claiming authorities of "gearing up for a war, instead of a football match", including during meetings in the build-up to the much-expected encounter. "The alarming events near the venue and following the reckless and outrageous judgment not to hold the fixture only show that the authorities has taken control of the sport," the team announced publicly. Maccabi Tel Aviv has not yet commented, merely stating the fixture was abandoned. The ruling by the local safety committee to ban the team's supporters from the Birmingham game on November 6 has sparked extensive disapproval. The government officials has later announced it is working to overturn the restriction and exploring what extra measures might be required to ensure the fixture can be held without incident. Villa informed their matchday stewards that they were not required to attend at the game, stating they recognized that some "might feel uneasy". On earlier in the week, local authorities said it backed the ban and designated the fixture as "potentially dangerous" according to reports and previous incidents. That included "physical confrontations and discrimination incidents" involving Ajax and followers ahead of a game in Amsterdam in late 2024, when numerous persons were arrested. There have been protests at multiple athletic competitions concerning the situation in Gaza, including when the national team played the Scandinavian team and Italy in latest qualification games. Related topics Football Additional reports Follow your club with match updates Released recently Tune into current match analysis Receive sports updates sent straight to your smartphone Published Mid-August