In a game that drew more attention due to events off the field than on it, France and Israel played out a goalless draw this Thursday (14) at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris.
A fight in the stands in the first half and some provocations between fans for and against Israel, contained by security, highlighted the political tension surrounding the match.
Without their biggest star, Kylian Mbappé, France showed little competence in finishing, against an Israeli team that, coming from four consecutive defeats, only defended itself. The result, however, was enough for the home team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Nations League.
The match was played in a tense atmosphere, with the war in the Middle East as a backdrop. An “Olympic standard” security scheme was set up for the game, with 4,000 police officers and an extensive security perimeter around the Stade de France.
Only 15,000 tickets were put on sale, in a stadium with a capacity of 78,000. Entries were nominal, requiring the presentation of a photo ID to pass through the turnstiles. Backpacks and bottles with liquids were prohibited. It is estimated that the security scheme cost €3.5 million (around R$21 million).
The Israeli government advised its citizens not to go to the stadium. However, around 700 Israel fans, in two sectors isolated from the rest of the public, watched the match. There were still many supporters mixed among the French, carrying flags of both countries.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, decided to go to the Stade de France in a gesture of support for the Israelis. It is not uncommon for the president to be present at national team matches, but this generally occurs in more important clashes, against more traditional opponents. Former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande and Prime Minister Michel Barnier also attended the stadium.
Rodolphe Giquel, a resident of northern France and a regular at the national team’s games, lamented, alongside his son, that the controversy had resulted in empty stands. “I’ve always heard that in sport, political stories shouldn’t be part of it. The atmosphere won’t be the same,” he said before the start of the match.
In turn, Jean-Michel Zerbib, a Jew and resident of Paris, insisted on going to the game with three friends and the flags of France and Israel. “There was a political instrumentalization of the game. That’s why I came to express my support. I’m French, but Israel is my favorite country.”
Earlier this month, PSG fans unfurled a “Free Palestine” banner at a Champions League match at Parc des Princes. Flags like this were prohibited in this Thursday’s game.
The entire security scheme did not prevent the French fans from booing the Israelis at various times: at the presentation of the teams before the start of the match, during the playing of the national anthem and in the first moments when the opposing team had possession of the ball.
In the 11th minute of the first half there was an apparent start of a fight in the middle ring of the stands, behind one of the goals, which was soon broken up by security officials. According to the AFP news agency, a police officer at the scene avoided confirming the reason for the fight because the circumstances were unclear.
According to the French newspaper Le Monde, Israeli fans sang “Free the hostages”, in reference to the approximately one hundred Israelis who are still under Hamas control in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The atmosphere became more tense again at the end of the game. In the 39th minute of the second half, some fans started chanting “Long live Palestine”. Several others attempted to display Palestinian and Lebanese flags but were reprimanded by security.
At the end of the match, the Israeli players greeted their fans. The visiting fans were asked on the loudspeaker to wait ten minutes before leaving.
On the French side, the absence of star Kylian Mbappé caught attention on the field. It was the second time in a row that the Real Madrid striker, involved in a rape case in Sweden, was not called up. Coach Didier Deschamps did not reveal the reason for not being called up. In the ultra-right bubble on social media, a rumor emerged that Mbappé refused to face the Israelis for supporting the Palestinian cause.
Protesters staged an demonstration against Israel two hours before the game, in Saint-Denis, outside the stadium’s security perimeter. Some left-wing politicians even called for the match to be canceled or transferred.
The day before, an ultra-right Israeli group held an event in Paris to honor Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli Finance Minister, known for his controversial statements against the Arabs. Pro-Palestinian activists organized protests in front of the event site. Smotrich ended up canceling the trip to France.
Fight in Amsterdam
The tension surrounding France x Israel was due to incidents that occurred the previous week in the Netherlands, before and after a game between Ajax, from Amsterdam, and Maccabi, from Tel Aviv, in the Europa League, one of the continent’s interclub tournaments. .
Videos published on social media showed Maccabi fans being violently attacked at different points around the Ajax stadium. Other images suggest that Israeli hooligans chanted Islamophobic chants and tore down a Palestinian flag draped over an apartment window.
62 fans were arrested and five people were hospitalized with minor injuries, according to Dutch authorities.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sent two planes to Amsterdam to pick up Maccabi fans.
