The highly anticipated Tel Aviv football derby between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv was abruptly canceled on Sunday night, October 19, 2025, after violent clashes erupted at Bloomfield Stadium, leaving the Israeli sports community reeling and reigniting fierce debate across Europe about football fan safety and policing. The match, set in the heart of Tel Aviv at a stadium both clubs call home, was supposed to be a showcase of local rivalry and sporting passion. Instead, it descended into chaos, with dozens of smoke grenades and pyrotechnic devices hurled from the stands, fans clashing with police, and a heavy-handed response that saw horses charging into crowds and officers wielding batons.
According to official statements from the Israel Police, the match was called off "following disturbances and violent riots" that posed a "real danger to the lives of police officers and civilians." Thirteen civilians and three police officers were reported injured, while nine people were arrested and at least 16 more detained for questioning. Footage released by authorities showed projectiles and flares thrown onto the pitch, with unrest spilling both inside and outside the stadium. The police described the night as "not a football game, this is disorder and serious violence."
But the story didn’t end there. Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club quickly fired back with a scathing statement, painting a very different picture of the night’s events. "From the preliminary discussions prior to the match, it appears that the police were preparing for war rather than a sporting event," a club spokesperson said. The club accused officers of "brutal police violence" and claimed "most of the injuries from the event were caused by brutal police violence at the end of the game, as a direct result of the scandalous decision to cancel the event." According to Hapoel, "everyone saw the disturbing videos of children being trampled by horses and police officers indiscriminately beating fans."
The cancellation, which came just before kickoff, left tens of thousands of fans stunned and the stadium swiftly evacuated. Police on horseback intervened to control the crowd of approximately 30,000, a scene described by many as more reminiscent of a battleground than a football match. Maccabi Tel Aviv, for its part, issued a brief statement confirming the police decision to cancel the derby but refrained from further comment.
The violence at Bloomfield Stadium has not only shocked Israeli football but has also sent ripples across Europe, coming just days after British authorities banned Maccabi supporters from attending their upcoming Europa League clash against Aston Villa in Birmingham on November 6, 2025. The Birmingham Safety Advisory Group, which includes police and local officials, cited a "high risk of violence based on current intelligence and previous incidents" as the reason for the unprecedented ban. The recent events in Tel Aviv have been cited by some as justification for this decision.
British political leaders have weighed in on the controversy. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the police decision to ban Maccabi fans "wrong," insisting "the role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation." Downing Street has since said it is "doing everything in its power to give Jewish communities the security they deserve" and is working to overturn the ban, exploring what additional resources might be required to ensure the fixture can be hosted safely. Starmer’s deputy spokesman told journalists, "We recognise the concerns raised by police due to previous incidents in Europe, and of course, acknowledge events over the last few days, and we condemn any violent behaviour."
Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson echoed these sentiments, stating, "It’s unacceptable to have ended up in a position where away fans are unable to attend for the reasons that have been cited and therefore we have a role to play, but other relevant authorities in the West Midlands will also be taking this into account." She added, "We think it is very difficult to justify and very difficult to accept and that football fans shouldn’t be unable to attend games for fear of what that might cause more widely."
However, not all voices are in agreement. Independent MP Ayoub Khan, who represents Birmingham Perry Barr and led a petition to bar Maccabi fans from the Aston Villa match, insisted the ban was about safety and crowd control, not politics or religion. "Hooligans, people who show no mercy, followed the club," Khan said. "Shame on all those disgraceful politicians and news anchors that conflated this matter. It was never about religion but everything to do about hooligans. These hooligans are not welcome in my constituency." Khan also rejected accusations that the petition was antisemitic, asserting, "The petition I launched reflected genuine and widespread concern from my constituents about public safety and community cohesion. It did not call for anyone to be 'banned because they are Jewish' nor did it single out any faith or ethnicity. To distort this into an issue of religion or antisemitism is deeply irresponsible and frankly dangerous."
Adding fuel to the fire, advocacy groups like Stand Up to Racism Birmingham supported the ban, pointing to past incidents involving Maccabi fans abroad. "When Maccabi played in Amsterdam and other places, thousands of their fans rampaged through the city chanting ‘death to Arabs’," a representative claimed. "They also chanted, ‘Why is school out in Gaza? There are no children left.’ They attacked people and caused extensive damage." The group described Maccabi supporters as "a fanatical racist group intent on spreading hatred and division." These allegations have only heightened tensions and complicated efforts to find a resolution that satisfies both security concerns and the rights of fans.
Meanwhile, Hapoel’s management remains furious over what they see as the police’s heavy-handed tactics. In a statement posted to social media, the club declared, "Everyone saw the harsh videos, children trampled by horses, police officers beating fans indiscriminately." They accused authorities of "taking over the sport" and called on football governing bodies to "regain control" of the game from law enforcement. Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid also seized on the incident to criticize the country’s Minister of National Security, claiming, "To the endless list of failures of the incompetent minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, tonight was added the inability to facilitate a football game in the state of Israel."
As of now, the fate of Maccabi fans’ attendance in Birmingham hangs in the balance, with West Midlands Police expected to set out what is needed to police the game safely with both sets of fans present. The UK Football Policing Unit is also reaching out to Israeli counterparts to better understand the events in Tel Aviv. With both football and politics tightly intertwined, the coming days will be crucial in determining whether fans from both sides can gather peacefully in Birmingham or if the shadow of recent violence will continue to shape the European football landscape.
For now, the Tel Aviv derby stands as a stark reminder of the challenges facing football authorities, fans, and governments alike, as they strive to balance passion, safety, and community in one of the world’s most beloved sports.
