Italy-Israel World Cup tie faces security concerns amid protests

4 weeks ago 11

Italy big Israel successful a World Cup qualifier connected October 14, successful Udine wherever the stadium lone holds 6,000 spectators.

Published On 7 Oct 2025

Israel’s World Cup qualifying lucifer successful Italy adjacent week is expected to pull much pro-Palestinian protesters extracurricular the shot stadium successful Udine than ticket-holding spectators wrong the arena.

Protesters already approached the gates of Italy’s grooming centre successful Florence past week to request that the lucifer not beryllium played due to the fact that of the warfare successful Gaza — portion of a nationalist onslaught that saw millions of activists instrumentality to the streets.

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“It’s not going to beryllium a calm environment,” Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso acknowledged Tuesday from wrong the Coverciano grooming centre that was targeted. “There volition beryllium 10,000 radical extracurricular the stadium and 5-6,000 wrong the stadium.”

As of Monday, lone 4,000 tickets were sold for adjacent Tuesday’s lucifer astatine Stadio Friuli.

While UEFA had been considering suspending Israel implicit the warfare and Udine Mayor Alberto Felice De Toni had called for the crippled to beryllium postponed, with Italy desperately attempting to debar failing to suffice for a 3rd consecutive World Cup, the four-time champion squad doesn’t program to hazard not playing.

“We person to play this match. Because if we don’t, we’ll suffer it 3-0,” Gattuso said, referring to the regularisation for forfeited matches. “[Italian Football Federation] president [Gabriele] Gravina explained that precise well.”

There was besides hostility connected the tract betwixt the 2 squads aft the last whistle erstwhile Italy edged Israel 5-4 successful a nine-goal thriller past period successful neutral Hungary — wherever Israel has been playing its “home” matches during the war.

The protesters successful Italy and elsewhere person besides been reacting to an planetary assistance ngo blocked by Israeli forces.

“It’s upsetting to spot what’s happening to guiltless radical and children,” Gattuso said. “It hurts your heart.”

Italy and Israel are level six points down radical person Norway, with lone the first-place finisher successful the radical to suffice straight for adjacent year’s tourney successful North America.

The second-place finishers advancement to a playoff — the signifier wherever Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia and ruled retired of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.

“Considering that we’re trying to get to the World Cup and we request to springiness our implicit all, I’m definite you tin recognize that I would person preferred to play a location crippled with the enthusiasm that we saw successful Bergamo a period ago,” Gattuso said, referring to a 5-0 triumph implicit Estonia.

Israel could besides look protests during a sojourn to Norway connected Saturday.

The Norwegian shot federation pledged to springiness its profits from summons income for the crippled successful Oslo to humanitarian enactment successful Gaza by Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym, MSF).

Italy played Israel successful Udine past October successful the Nations League. That crippled went disconnected without incidental amid a dense constabulary beingness and contempt a pro-Palestinian objection earlier the game. Italy won 4-1.

The Italian Football Coaches’ Association (AIAC) wrote to the Italian Football Federation successful August, successful a missive to beryllium forwarded to European and satellite football’s governing bodies, calling for Israel to beryllium suspended from planetary contention owed to its warfare connected Gaza.

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