🔗 Share this article Tel Aviv Local Rivalry Cancelled After Serious Unrest Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv was engulfed by smoke ahead of the anticipated start Published 22:27 BST on October 19, 2025 Updated 9 minutes ago The domestic football league local clash featuring one local team and their city rivals was called off prior to the start on Sunday, following what law enforcement described as "civil unrest and serious disturbances". "Many of smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices were thrown," law enforcement posted on digital channels, emphasizing "this is not a sporting event, this is chaos and major hostilities". A dozen individuals and several officers were harmed, police said, while several individuals were arrested and sixteen questioned by police. The unrest come just a short time after authorities in the United Kingdom said that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans cannot be permitted to attend the European competition match at the English club in England in November because of public safety worries. The local club condemned the derby cancellation, accusing Israeli police of "preparing for a war, instead of a football match", including during discussions in the preparation to the much-expected encounter. "The disturbing situations around the stadium and due to the reckless and outrageous judgment not to hold the game only show that the authorities has taken control of the game," the team said in a statement. Their rivals has not yet commented, only acknowledging the match was cancelled. The decision by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group to exclude the team's supporters from the Birmingham game on 6 November has sparked extensive disapproval. The British authorities has since said it is seeking to cancel the prohibition and exploring what extra measures might be required to make certain the fixture can be conducted securely. Villa informed their matchday stewards that they were not required to attend at the fixture, saying they acknowledged that some "may have concerns". On the previous day, local authorities confirmed it backed the restriction and classified the fixture as "high risk" according to reports and past events. That involved "serious fights and hate-crime offences" between the Dutch team and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans ahead of a game in the Dutch capital in late 2024, when over sixty individuals were arrested. There have been rallies at various athletic competitions over the situation in Gaza, for instance when the national team faced Norway and the European team in latest football World Cup qualifiers. Related topics Soccer Additional reports Track your team with sports coverage Released 2 days ago Hear the most recent football podcast Receive sports updates sent straight to your smartphone Issued Mid-August