Israel vs. France: Brawl overshadows Nations League game

The French authorities had taken precautions. After violent riots against Israeli fans in Amsterdam a week ago, people were warned. Therefore, security precautions were tightened considerably: 4,000 police officers were supposed to prevent possible riots. An elite unit protected the Israeli team. Nevertheless, there were outbreaks of violence.

After a quarter of an hour of play, clashes broke out in the Nations League game between the two teams from Israel and France, which was played on Thursday evening at the Stade de France. Several videos show a movement of fans triggered by a fight. The French supporters retreat while several dozen Israeli fans run in their direction.

A witness told Le Parisien that he saw masked people running towards the group of French supporters after “provocations” from spectators in the French ranks. Videos show a group of fans chasing a person and then knocking him to the ground. But after a few minutes, security forces were able to calm the unrest. Folders separated the groups with a double security chain.

The situation then calmed down without the game being interrupted. It ended goalless 0-0. There were no further clashes after the game. The Israeli national anthem was disrupted by scattered whistles before the game kicked off. Only French and Israeli flags were allowed in the stadium, while Palestinian banners were banned. During the game, individual spectators showed Palestinian flags and were escorted out of the stadium.

It was an escalation with an announcement: Israeli authorities had already advised against the visit. So not many Israeli fans came. The Stade de France is designed for 80,000 people. There were barely 20,000 spectators at the game.

After the game, Israeli coach Ran Ben Simon praised the security arrangements and thanked the security forces. However, the strong security measures and the associated restrictions deterred the French fans, which is also why the stadium remained almost empty.