Tel Aviv football derby cancelled after fans riot

The Tel Aviv derby between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv, scheduled for Sunday night at Bloomfield Stadium, was postponed after the ‘Israeli’ police determined that escalating disturbances had created unsafe conditions.

The cancellation was triggered by the extensive and illegal use of pyrotechnics, including fireworks and smoke grenades, by fans inside the stadium.

The resulting chaos led to injuries among both groups, with ‘Israeli’ Police reporting a total of eight casualties: three officers and five supporters were hurt.

In an official statement, police characterized the incident as "serious disorder and violence, not a football game," and informed match officials the event could not proceed.

The ‘Israel’ Professional Football Leagues Association confirmed the match would not be held about 20 minutes after the scheduled 8:30 PM start time, as the venue remained completely obscured by smoke.

Prior tensions were also evident outside the stadium, where fans were involved in throwing bottles and stones. These pre-kickoff incidents led to five arrests and several temporary detentions for illegal assembly, including 13 masked fans.