Riots in Tel Aviv
City derby canceled after violence
10/20/2025 – 01:07 amReading time: 1 min.
After violent riots shortly before kick-off, the police canceled the city derby in Tel Aviv. At least 29 people were reportedly injured and 40 suspects were arrested.
After serious riots, the football city derby between Hapoel Tel Aviv and local rivals Maccabi has been canceled. Shortly before kick-off, the police instructed the clubs not to play the game in the shared Bloomfield Stadium. Security forces feared further escalation after rioters threw fireworks and smoke grenades. According to media reports, at least 29 people were injured in further riots. 40 suspects were arrested.
The start of the game was initially postponed. Players who were already on the pitch warming up had to return to the changing rooms because of the incident. The cancellation followed a little later. According to initial reports, at least three police officers were injured.
Only on Friday, the exclusion of Maccabi fans from the European Cup game at Aston Villa caused a stir and outrage. The English Premier League club had announced that the instruction to exclude the Israeli supporters had come from the responsible security advisory group. West Midlands Police have raised concerns about public safety outside the stadium as protests are expected.
In football, but also in other sports, there have been repeated pro-Palestinian protests at games and competitions with Israeli participation. The background is the Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip. Even after the agreement between the Israeli government and the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on a ceasefire, the deep conflict between the two sides is far from resolved.