Tel-Aviv Local Rivalry Postponed After Serious Unrest
The sports venue in Tel Aviv was covered in haze ahead of the scheduled beginning
-
Released
The Israeli Premier League rivalry match featuring one local team and Hapoel Tel Aviv was called off ahead of kick-off on the weekend, due to what authorities labeled as "public disorder and serious disturbances".
"Many of smoke grenades and flares were launched," Israeli police stated on online platforms, adding "this is not a match, it represents chaos and major hostilities".
A dozen people and three police personnel were injured, authorities reported, while multiple persons were detained and sixteen held for interrogation.
The clashes occur just days after authorities in the UK stated that followers of the club cannot be permitted to be present at the Europa League game at the English club in the UK the following month because of public safety worries.
The local club criticised the derby cancellation, alleging Israeli police of "preparing for a battle, instead of a sporting event", including during discussions in the build-up to the eagerly-awaited fixture.
"The shocking incidents outside the venue and following the ill-considered and unacceptable judgment to abandon the fixture only prove that the authorities has assumed command over the sport," the team stated officially.
Their rivals has declined to speak, merely stating the fixture was abandoned.
The decision by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to exclude Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the Birmingham game on the sixth of November has triggered broad condemnation.
The government officials has later announced it is working to overturn the restriction and considering what additional resources might be required to ensure the match can be hosted safely.
Villa told their security personnel that they were not required to attend at the game, stating they recognized that some "may have concerns".
On the previous day, law enforcement said it supported the ban and designated the fixture as "high risk" according to intelligence and previous incidents.
That involved "physical confrontations and hate-crime offences" between Ajax and followers prior to a fixture in the Dutch capital in the previous year, when more than 60 people were arrested.
There have been demonstrations at various sporting events over the conflict in Gaza, such as when the national team competed against the Scandinavian team and the European team in latest qualification games.
Associated subjects
- The sport
Additional reports
-
-
Posted48 hours prior
-
-
-
Published16 August
-
