chaos
‘Never seen anything like it’ – Tel Aviv derby sees 25 minutes of stoppage time due to ‘arsenal of flares and smoke grenades’ before balls are thrown on the pitch to delay game
The Tel Aviv derby saw a 25 minute first-half delay after a barrage of flares were thrown onto the pitch from both ends of the stadium.
Hosts Maccabi eventually beat Hapoel 3-0 under the guidance of former Watford boss Vladimir Ivic, but the goals didn’t come until a chaotic 70 minute half of football was over.
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Playing their city rivals in the Israeli first division, Maccabi were able to extend an eight-year unbeaten run against Hapoel, but it was a surprise the game was able to continue.
The match was only seconds in before flares and smoke started reigning down in both penalty areas at the Bloomfield Stadium.
Referee Roi Reinshreiber was able to restart proceedings when the smoke cleared in the eighth minute, only for more flares to come from the Hapoel end in the 15th minute, and again in the 24th.
Former Bristol City goalkeeper Stefan Tone was able to avoid any injury, but his penalty box was covered in burn marks.
The referee then went to talk to the benches, potentially about stopping the match, before a tannoy announcement in the stadium sent a warning to fans.
That seemed to stop the flares, but before the game was half an hour old, Hapoel fans began throwing balls into their own penalty box to thwart Maccabi attacks.
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New York Times journalist was in attendance and posted a video of the action on Twitter along with the caption: “This is how it started. Only got worse after.
“Hapoel fans throwing balls into play to stop Maccabi attacks 4-5 [times].
“Somehow match still continued. 25 min (!) added time end of 1st half. Never seen anything like it.”
called it an ‘electric atmosphere’ at their sold-out stadium, but an ‘arsenal of flares and smoke grenades’ forced the game to be stopped before balls were thrown onto the pitch ‘every time there was a sign of danger’.
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Maor Kandil thought he might have scored one of the latest first-half goals in football history when he appeared to have put Maccabi ahead in the 16th minute of stoppage time, only to see it ruled out for an offside VAR call.
Thankfully though, for the home team and the integrity of the match, the show from the stands was over in the second period, with Maccabi scoring three goals in the final 15 minutes to take three points from a game that looked like it may never finish.
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