A small skirmish broke out in the stands of the Stade de France during a tense match between Israel and France’s men's football teams. Still, a repeat of the serious violence in Amsterdam was avoided due to a heavy police presence.
On Wednesday night, the Nations League match between Israel and France at the Stade de France took place in a tense atmosphere in the French capital, overshadowed by recent violence that took place during and after a Maccabi Tel Aviv match in Amsterdam.
Fewer than 20,000 people attended the Uefa Nations League match, making it the lowest attendance recorded in the 80,000-capacity stadium. Despite the low attendance, about 4,000 police officers were on the streets around the stadium, along with 1,600 security personnel inside.
After the 0-0 draw, the situation outside the stadium remained calm. During the match, a skirmish occurred involving Israeli fans in the stands, but security forces quickly intervened. The incident lasted only a couple of minutes.
Israeli football coach Ran Ben Shimon praised France for their security measures following the match between France and Israel in Paris on Thursday. "The security was extraordinary and fantastic," Ben Shimon told the French newspaper Le Parisien. "We want to thank the security services who protected us," he added, speaking to the sports magazine L’Équipe.
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Notably, the coach thanked former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande but, perhaps forgetfully, did not mention current President Emmanuel Macron. All three were present at the stadium to show solidarity after last week’s violence against football supporters in the Netherlands.
According to Le Parisien, Israeli fans, especially French Jews, left the stadium on hired buses, escorted by the police.
Additional concerns on top of those linked to the violence in Amsterdam had been raised after riot police clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters on Wednesday night outside a gala event in Paris where funds were being raised for the Israeli military.
