Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Cancelled Due to Serious Unrest

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

The domestic football league derby involving one local team and their city rivals was called off ahead of kick-off on the weekend, following what law enforcement characterized as "public disorder and violent riots".

"Many of smoke bombs and fireworks were thrown," law enforcement announced on online platforms, emphasizing "this isn't a sporting event, this is unrest and significant aggression".

Twelve individuals and several officers were harmed, police said, while multiple persons were taken into custody and numerous others held for interrogation.

The unrest happen just a brief period after authorities in the United Kingdom stated that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should not be allowed to be present at the Europa League match at the Birmingham team in England next month because of public safety worries.

Hapoel Tel Aviv criticised the derby cancellation, accusing law enforcement of "getting ready for a battle, not a game", particularly during meetings in the lead-up to the highly-anticipated fixture.

"The shocking situations near the arena and following the reckless and scandalous decision to abandon the game only show that the law enforcement has assumed command over the game," Hapoel Tel Aviv stated officially.

Their rivals has remained silent, only acknowledging the game was called off.

The ruling by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to ban the team's supporters from the Aston Villa match on the sixth of November has triggered broad condemnation.

The British authorities has since said it is attempting to reverse the ban and exploring what extra measures might be required to ensure the match can be held without incident.

Aston Villa informed their security personnel that they did not have to work at the fixture, stating they understood that some "might feel uneasy".

On the previous day, law enforcement said it backed the prohibition and designated the fixture as "high risk" based on intelligence and previous incidents.

That involved "serious fights and hate-crime offences" among the Dutch team and their supporters prior to a game in the Netherlands in the previous year, when numerous persons were detained.

There have been protests at multiple athletic competitions regarding the conflict in Gaza, such as when the national team played Norway and Italy in latest international matches.

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