Hammarby vs. Djurgarden Match Halted Due to Fireworks Incident

Hammarby and Djurgarden’s Stockholm derby was suspended until Monday due to safety concerns after supporters had to leave the stadium during the second half. The match held at the Tele2 Arena saw Hammarby leading 2-0 when Swedish police withdrew permission for fans to continue watching the game. This decision followed fireworks thrown from the Djurgarden section which raised alarms about safety and order.

Officials took players off the field shortly before the police announced that they had rescinded the necessary legal permission for the public event. Djurgarden later confirmed that the match would resume on Monday at 14:00 local time (13:00 BST), starting from the 76th minute but without any fans in attendance.

The police issued a statement explaining their decision, stating, “The police authority has decided to dissolve a public event at Tele2 Arena today, following an assessment that less invasive measures were insufficient.” They noted that the event organizer could not guarantee safety and order which prompted them to evacuate the arena.

While most supporters quickly exited, some remained inside, chanting “we’re going nowhere,” as stadium lights turned off in an attempt to encourage them to leave. Djurgarden later released a statement detailing that pyrotechnics thrown onto the pitch interrupted the derby.

They confirmed that the match could not resume until officials cleared the venue. In the Allsvenskan standings, Hammarby currently sits in second place, ahead of Djurgarden on goal difference with both teams trailing league leaders Malmo by 11 points.

This incident marks a significant disruption in a highly anticipated rivalry and highlights ongoing concerns regarding crowd safety at sporting events.