The highly anticipated Tel Aviv derby between Hapoel and Maccabi, scheduled for Sunday night at Bloomfield Stadium, was called off due to violent rioting both inside and outside the venue. The decision to cancel the match was made by Israeli police, citing significant safety concerns and "risks to human life".
The events leading to the cancellation included widespread disorder, with fans throwing flares, smoke bombs, stones, and other projectiles onto the pitch. These actions resulted in injuries to at least three police officers and a reported 13 civilians, including a 13-year-old boy. One officer was hospitalized. Outside the stadium, clashes between supporters involved throwing bottles and stones, leading to five arrests for disorderly conduct and several temporary detentions for illegal assembly. In total, police arrested nine people and detained 16 for questioning.
Tel Aviv District police chief Haim Sargarof stated that the violence was pre-planned. A police spokesman described the situation as "not a soccer game" but "a disturbance of public order and serious violence". The Israel Police released a statement on X, condemning the events: "Disorderly conduct, riots, injured police officers and damage to infrastructure – this is not a soccer game, this is a breach of order and serious violence". They further noted that dozens of smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices were thrown.
The announcement of the game's cancellation came approximately 20 minutes after the scheduled 8:30 p.m. start time, with the stadium still filled with smoke. Over 25,000 spectators had been in attendance, eagerly awaiting the derby, which hadn't been played in over a year.
Hapoel Tel Aviv CEO Guy Primor expressed his dissatisfaction with the decision, questioning why this game was singled out when "worse things happened" at other matches. In contrast, Maccabi Tel Aviv CEO Ben Mansford stated that if the police believed they could not ensure the players' safety, the cancellation was justified, suggesting a technical victory for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
This incident occurred shortly after Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were prohibited from attending their Europa League game against Aston Villa in Birmingham next month, due to security concerns. The decision by Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group was based on a high risk of violence, considering "current intelligence and previous incidents". This ban has drawn condemnation from Israeli officials and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Aston Villa released a statement confirming that no away fans would be permitted inside Villa Park.
