Tel Aviv Derby Called Off After Serious Unrest

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

The domestic football league rivalry match involving Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was called off ahead of commencement on Sunday, after what authorities characterized as "crowd trouble and violent riots".

"Dozens of smoke bombs and fireworks were thrown," Israeli police stated on online platforms, adding "this cannot be considered a sporting event, this is unrest and serious violence".

Twelve individuals and several law enforcement members were harmed, officials confirmed, while nine people were taken into custody and numerous others held for interrogation.

The unrest come just a brief period after representatives in the United Kingdom stated that followers of the club ought to be banned to go to the Europa League match at Aston Villa in England in November because of security issues.

The local club criticised the derby cancellation, alleging authorities of "gearing up for a conflict, not a football match", even during meetings in the build-up to the eagerly-awaited match.

"The shocking situations around the arena and after the ill-considered and unacceptable decision to cancel the fixture only prove that the Israel Police has seized authority in the game," Hapoel Tel Aviv said in a statement.

Their rivals has not yet commented, only acknowledging the match was cancelled.

The ruling by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to ban the team's supporters from the Aston Villa match on 6 November has sparked broad condemnation.

The government officials has subsequently stated it is seeking to cancel the prohibition and considering what extra measures might be necessary to guarantee the game can be conducted securely.

Villa notified their matchday stewards that they could choose not to participate at the fixture, stating they understood that some "could be worried".

On earlier in the week, West Midlands Police stated it backed the ban and categorized the match as "concerning" due to intelligence and past events.

That included "serious fights and hate-crime offences" among Ajax and followers before a game in the Dutch capital in November 2024, when more than 60 people were arrested.

There have been protests at various sporting events over the war in Gaza, including when Israel played Norway and Italy in recent football World Cup qualifiers.

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