Tel Aviv football derby cancelled after ‘violent riots’ which ‘posed a danger to lives

It comes just days after Maccabi Tel Aviv away fans were banned from attending a game at Aston Villa next month.

The Tel Aviv football derby was cancelled following "violent riots," Israeli police say.

The game between Tel Aviv sides Hapoel and Maccabi had been due to take place at Bloomfield Stadium, the stadium shared by both clubs.

But the match was called off "following disturbances and violent riots" in which 13 civilians and three officers were injured by pyrotechnic devices, according to a statement from Israeli police.

"These are very serious incidents that posed a real danger to the lives of police officers and civilians," they added.

Twelve civilians and three officers were injured, police said, while nine people were arrested and 16 detained for questioning.

However, in their own statement, Hapoel Tel Aviv accused police of "brutal violence", claiming police were "preparing for war rather than a sporting event."

The club accused officers of "indiscriminately beating fans" and labelled it a "scandalous decision" to cancel the match, Sky News reports.

A Maccabi statement read: "Following the police's decision, it was determined that the Tel Aviv derby will not take place tonight."

The derby's cancellation comes just days after Maccabi fans were banned from attending an away match against Aston Villa in the Europa League next month.

Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group said the decision was due to a high risk of violence based on "current intelligence and previous incidents," a decision supported by West Midlands Police.

But there was almost-universal outrage from British politicians in response to the ban, with the government saying it was working with authorities to reverse the decision.

Following the ugly scenes at the Tel Aviv derby, many pointed out on social media how the police and authorities have seemingly been vindicated in their decision to ban Maccabi fans.