Protesters in Italy demand Israel boycott before World Cup qualifier

Italy’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Israel was preceded by clashes betwixt immoderate pro-Palestinian demonstrators and police, portion thousands of others peacefully marched done Udine successful protestation astatine the hosting of a lucifer they felt should not beryllium played.

The Gaza ceasefire statement signed connected Monday, on with an speech of captives betwixt Israel and Hamas, did thing to diminish the resoluteness of astir 10,000 protesters who descended connected the tiny metropolis successful Italy’s acold northeast, a tiny conception of whom were progressive successful unrest astatine the extremity of the march.

More than 1,000 constabulary officers and service unit were deployed connected Tuesday, with helicopters and drones flying overhead to support ticker connected a objection adjacent the Bluenergy Stadium, wherever the Group I fixture was held, and was won 3-0 by Italy.

There was small accidental of protesters reaching the stadium, arsenic checkpoints were acceptable up successful a ringing astir it, with spectators required to walk factual barriers and metallic detectors to ticker a lucifer – cardinal to Italy’s bid to suffice for a World Cup for the archetypal clip since 2014.

There is choler successful Italy implicit the country’s shot federation (FIGC) refusing to see a boycott of matches against Israel.

“The Norwegian FA has begun taking a presumption against the beingness of Israeli teams; there’s a wholly antithetic benignant of behaviour crossed the committee compared to what you spot present successful Italy,” said Carlina, an activistic from Udine Committee for Palestine who helped organise the march.

A ample conception of Italian fans successful a tiny assemblage of 10,000 loudly booed the Israeli nationalist anthem earlier being drowned retired by applause.

There was further applause erstwhile Mateo Retegui enactment Italy up from the punishment spot successful stoppage clip astatine the extremity of the archetypal half, and helium ensured Italy astatine slightest 2nd spot successful the radical and a playoff spot with a beauteous curling decorativeness successful the 74th minute, earlier Gianluca Mancini headed successful the 3rd extremity precocious on.

Only the apical spot offers automatic qualification for adjacent year’s finals successful the US, Canada, and Mexico, and Norway pb Italy by 3 points and a vastly superior extremity quality with 2 matches remaining.