The Israeli Premier League derby between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was cancelled by police after “violent riots” before kick-off.
The police said 12 civilians and three police officers were injured, while nine people were arrested and 16 detained for questioning.
Hapoel Tel Aviv criticised the cancellation, saying in a statement: “Even from the preliminary discussions for the match, it seemed that the police were preparing for a war, not a sporting event.”
Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group this week said Maccabi Tel Aviv fans should not be allowed to attend the Europa League match at Aston Villa on 6 November because of safety concerns.
The UK government is working to overturn the ban and is exploring what additional resources might be required to ensure the fixture can be hosted safely.
Israeli police said it cancelled the match at Bloomfield Stadium because of “public disorder and violent riots”.
They said: “Dozens of smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices were thrown.
“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.”
Hapoel Tel Aviv said: “The shocking events outside the stadium and following the reckless and scandalous decision not to hold the match only demonstrate that the Israel Police has taken control of the sport.”
The club said “most of the injuries from the event were actually caused by the brutal police violence”.
“It goes without saying that the club’s management condemns all acts of violence – and will fight against lawbreakers, even if they are wearing uniforms,” they said.
Villa told their matchday stewards that they did not have to work at the game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, saying some “may have concerns”, before the decision to ban fans.
On Thursday West Midlands Police said it supported the ban and classified the fixture as “high risk” based on intelligence and previous incidents.
That included “violent clashes and hate-crime offences” between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans before a match in Amsterdam in November 2024, when more than 60 people were arrested.
There have been protests at various sporting events over the war in Gaza, including when Israel played Norway and Italy in recent football World Cup qualifiers.
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