đź”— Share this article Tel-Aviv Local Rivalry Postponed Following Serious Unrest Bloomfield Stadium in the city was engulfed by haze prior to the scheduled start Released October 19, 2025 at 10:27 PM BST Modified moments ago The domestic football league local clash between one local team and their city rivals was cancelled prior to the start on Sunday, after what law enforcement labeled as "public disorder and serious disturbances". "Many of smoke bombs and fireworks were launched," authorities announced on social media, adding "this cannot be considered a football game, it constitutes disorder and major hostilities". A dozen people and three officers were injured, police said, while nine people were detained and sixteen detained for questioning. The disturbances come just a short time after officials in the United Kingdom said that supporters of the team should not be allowed to be present at the international tournament match at the Birmingham team in Britain in November because of security issues. Hapoel Tel Aviv censured the match postponement, accusing law enforcement of "getting ready for a battle, instead of a sporting event", even during meetings in the lead-up to the highly-anticipated match. "The shocking situations around the stadium and following the irresponsible and unacceptable ruling not to hold the fixture only prove that the law enforcement has taken control of the football," the club stated officially. Maccabi Tel Aviv has not yet commented, merely stating the match was cancelled. The ruling by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to prohibit the team's supporters from the English fixture on November 6 has provoked widespread criticism. The government officials has subsequently stated it is working to overturn the prohibition and exploring what further support might be necessary to make certain the fixture can be hosted safely. Aston Villa informed their matchday stewards that they did not have to work at the game, saying they understood that some "may have concerns". On earlier in the week, law enforcement confirmed it supported the restriction and classified the game as "concerning" according to intelligence and earlier occurrences. That included "violent clashes and hate-crime offences" between the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans prior to a match in the Netherlands in late 2024, when numerous persons were arrested. There have been demonstrations at multiple games regarding the war in Gaza, including when the national team faced the Scandinavian team and Italy in recent qualification games. Related topics Soccer Further coverage Support your side with game reports Posted recently Listen to the latest match analysis Receive sports updates delivered directly to your smartphone Released 16 August