🔗 Share this article Tel Aviv Derby Cancelled Following Violent Riots Bloomfield Stadium in the city was covered in smoke ahead of the scheduled kick-off Released 19 October 2025, 22:27 BST Revised nine minutes prior The domestic football league rivalry match between one local team and Hapoel Tel Aviv was cancelled ahead of the start on the weekend, following what authorities described as "public disorder and serious disturbances". "Dozens of smoke bombs and pyrotechnic devices were thrown," law enforcement stated on social media, noting "this cannot be considered a sporting event, it constitutes unrest and significant aggression". A dozen people and multiple police personnel were injured, authorities reported, while several individuals were arrested and 16 held for interrogation. The disturbances occur just a short time after representatives in the Britain announced that supporters of the team cannot be permitted to go to the Europa League game at Aston Villa in Britain in November because of safety concerns. One team condemned the game abandonment, claiming law enforcement of "gearing up for a war, not a sporting event", even during meetings in the preparation to the eagerly-awaited match. "The alarming events outside the stadium and following the irresponsible and scandalous decision to cancel the game only show that the authorities has taken control of the football," Hapoel Tel Aviv stated officially. The other team has not yet commented, only acknowledging the match was cancelled. The ruling by security authorities to exclude club followers from the English fixture on the sixth of November has triggered widespread criticism. The British authorities has subsequently stated it is working to overturn the restriction and investigating what extra measures might be necessary to guarantee the game can be conducted securely. The English club notified their security personnel that they were not required to attend at the match, saying they understood that some "may have concerns". On Thursday, local authorities confirmed it backed the ban and classified the fixture as "high risk" due to reports and past events. That encompassed "physical confrontations and bigotry-related acts" among Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prior to a game in the Netherlands in November 2024, when numerous persons were detained. There have been protests at various games over the situation in Gaza, including when Israel competed against the Scandinavian team and Italy in recent qualification games. Associated subjects Soccer Additional reports Follow your club with match updates Published recently Listen to the latest football podcast Obtain match information sent straight to your phone Published Mid-August