LONDON: A UEFA Champions League qualifier in Ta’ Qali, Malta, on Tuesday between home side Hamrun Spartans and Israeli team Maccabi Haifa had to be stopped as a result of violent clashes between rival supporters amid pro-Palestinian chants from the home fans.
Video footage of events inside the Centenary Stadium that was posted on social media purportedly showed Hamrun fans chanting “Palestina, Palestina” during ugly scenes of violence in the stands.
According to witnesses in the stadium, flares had earlier been thrown by the away supporters toward a section of the ground reserved for families, and the home fans responded by throwing projectiles at the Haifa section.
The Israeli side was leading 2-0 in the first leg of the first round of qualifying when the referee halted the game in the 55th minute. A lengthy delay followed as officials and police attempted to calm the unrest between the two sets of supporters.
The match eventually resumed, however, and the Israeli champions went on to secure a 4-0 victory to take into the second leg in Haifa next week.
Maccabi Haifa is one of the most popular clubs in Israel, especially among Arab citizens. Supporters of the club were subjected to antisemitic abuse from Union Berlin supporters during a Champions League game in the German capital in 2021, at which home supporters made offensive gestures and directed racial slurs toward the Israeli fans.
