TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – Dozens of people were injured when rioting soccer fans threw smoke bombs and flares at a derby match in Tel Aviv, Israeli authorities said Monday.
The game between city rivals Hapoel and Hapoel takes place on Sunday at Bloomfield Stadium. Maccabi It was eventually abandoned due to public safety concerns, police said.
A police spokesperson said in a statement that several fans arrived with the intent to disrupt order and fired dozens of smoke grenades and smoke grenades onto the field.
It was announced that 42 people were injured, including five police officers. Dozens of people were arrested, 11 of whom were arraigned in court, and the rest were released with restrictions, the statement said.
Video footage seen by The Associated Press showed pink and gray smoke rising from the pitch amid the sound of smoke bombs. At one point, an object fell into the stands where people were gathered and began emitting smoke while the crowd sought shelter.
Maccabi Tel Aviv club said in a statement that the cancellation of the game against Hapoel was due to smoke bombs thrown by opposing fans, not Maccabi Tel Aviv’s visiting fans.
In a social media post, Hapoel called the decision to cancel the match “outrageous” and “hasty” and said most of the injured were injured as a result of police action.
A Hapoel spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Soccer violence continues for days After a controversial decision This is to prevent Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans from traveling to the UK to watch next month’s Europa League matches, citing safety concerns.
british prime minister keir starmer have criticized the decision This is to prevent Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans from attending the match against Aston Villa Football Club.
Earlier this year, a league match was held between Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv. abandoned It happened at half-time for safety reasons after some fans of Haifa’s home team threw smoke bombs at the players.
last year Israeli fan assaulted After the soccer match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch team Ajax in Amsterdam. Five people were treated in hospital and dozens were arrested after the attack, which authorities in Amsterdam, Israel and across Europe condemned as anti-Semitic.
Ahead of the match, a video showed a large crowd of supporters of the Israeli team chanting anti-Arab slogans as they made their way to the stadium, escorted by police.
