The high-risk game between France and Israel at the Stade de France in Paris took place overshadowed by minor riots. Head of State Emmanuel Macron had to watch in the stands as around 50 people fought in the north curve in the first half of the Nations League game. Macron also didn’t see anything pleasant in terms of sport; the 2018 world champion couldn’t get past a tired 0-0 draw without Kylian Mbappé.
Despite the high security precautions, things did not remain quiet in the stadium. The clashes also involved fans carrying Israeli flags, as seen in videos. The security forces and police quickly intervened and separated the two groups. The incident lasted a good two minutes. France is in the quarter-finals thanks to the point win, but the starting position in the fight for group victory has deteriorated. After the 1-0 (1-0) win in Belgium, Italy increased their lead to three points and also has a home game against the French on Sunday.
Things remained quiet in Paris until kick-off. A massive police presence had been securing the stadium since the afternoon. 4,000 police officers were deployed for the encounter. However, many seats in the stadium remained empty; around 20,000 spectators were estimated to be watching the game. Among them were some Israeli supporters, despite a warning from Israel’s National Security Council. Macron and former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande also watched the game in the stands.