Relocated to Budapest due to the geopolitical context in the Middle East, the Israel-France match counting for the third day of Nations League qualifying is scheduled for this Thursday evening at the Boszik Arena.
If some will manage to make the trip to support the Blues who are about to move towards a new era after the renunciations which have marked these last months (Hugo Lloris, Raphaël Varane, Steve Madanda, Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema), the vice-world champions will play in front of many empty spaces in the stands. An environment that they have not experienced since the periods of confinement linked to Covid-19, between September 5, 2020 and June 2, 2021, where they played twelve of their fifteen matches behind closed doors.
Already a precedent against Israel in 2003
The history of relocated matches between the two nations has already had a precedent. In 2003, the Israeli federation then chose Sicily and the Palermo stadium to host the qualifying meeting for Euro 2004 organized in Portugal. The Blues, then led by Jacques Santini, won (2-1, goals from David Trézéguet and Zinedine Zidane) in a tense security atmosphere, in front of around 4,000 spectators, just a few days after having destroyed Malta (8-0). in the joy of the Félix-Bollaert stadium, in Lens (40,775 spectators).
