The match between France and Israel in the Nations League comes wrapped in an atmosphere of high tension, once again mixing sport and politics. While the two teams try to focus on the game, Europe is holding its breath for what happens at the Stade de France, the scene of a clash that will have an unprecedented security device for a match of this type.
The recent attacks on Israeli fans in Amsterdam, after a match between Ajax and Maccabi, were the spark that ignited the atmosphere. That night there were scenes of violence, with dozens of injuries and anti-Semitic acts, and fear was raised that the meeting between France and Israel, at the gates of Paris, would serve as a magnet for that scenario of terror to be reproduced or amplified. .
Given this background, the security device in Saint-Denis will be one of the most extreme for an international match. Laurent Núñez, prefect of the Paris Police, confirmed the deployment of 4,000 police and gendarmes in the surrounding area and on public transport leading to the stadium. In addition, an elite unit, the RAID, escorts the Israeli team, which has remained in a “security bubble” since its arrival.
On Tuesday, the Israeli team trained on an unspecified field in the Val-d’Oise department under strict surveillance, with helicopters flying overhead and complete access control. The Israeli delegation has worked under these conditions since its arrival in Paris on Monday. The journalists accompanying them cannot reveal their location, and are also prohibited from taking any images of the rally.
Although the stadium, which held the Closing Ceremony of the last Olympic Games, can hold up to 80,000 people, attendance will be very low. Only about 25,000 tickets have been sold. The French Sports Minister, Gil Averous, confirmed this Wednesday that the stands will be half empty, a reflection of the fear and tension surrounding the match.
Macron and the Government’s position
The French Government has insisted these days that the party will remain in Saint-Denis, despite the voices calling for its transfer. Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior, was forceful in stating that changing headquarters would mean defeat in the face of violence. President Emmanuel Macron himself plans to attend the stadium, accompanied by former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.
Macron will not only be there to support the French team, but also to reaffirm France’s commitment to the fight against anti-Semitism and violence. Last week he harshly attacked PSG after fans of that team took advantage of the Champions League match against Atlético to display a huge banner with the slogan ‘Free Palestine’. In the match against Israel, Palestinian flags were banned inside the stadium.
There is no unanimity in the French parliamentary arch. France is home to the largest Jewish community in Europe, and its Muslim population, also the largest on the continent, totals more than five million people, which has served France Insoumise, the main left-wing party, to request the cancellation of the party. . Mathilde Panot, president of the group in the National Assembly, justifies this request by the “high risk of incidents” at a time of great sensitivity due to the conflict in Gaza and Israel’s military response.
The players, in the middle
Despite the explosive context, the players have tried to stay on the sidelines. Since I arrived, I have not heard anything to that effect,” explained N’Golo Kanté, who will be the captain of ‘Les Bleus’ in the match, at a press conference: “. We only talked about how to qualify for the next phase. We know that here we represent the French team, not our personal opinions. We all have opinions that we want to share or not. This situation hurts me, it saddens me to see what is happening and I hope it gets better. But here we represent French football.”
Didier Deschamps, coach of France, assured that his team has tried to prepare for the match normally, although he recognizes that the weight of the context is undeniable. For Deschamps, keeping his players focused is the main challenge. “We want this to be a football match, although we know that these are not the usual circumstances,” he said at the press conference prior to the match.
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