The Red Devils face Israel this evening in Budapest in their final Nations League match. Following incidents in previous matches against Israeli teams, including riots in Amsterdam and increased security measures in Paris, the match was moved to Hungary.
Sportingly, the presence of Israel in Division A of this Nations League is a surprise. Politically, the stakes are even greater than on the ground. As in the first leg, the Devils face the Israelis in Hungary, while, for example, France hosted the last team in the group at the Parc des Princes, in front of an admittedly very small audience.
“Israel and Belgium consider Hungary to be safer than Brussels,” says Stefan Bos, correspondent for the VRT in central Europe. According to him, the Hungarian security services are well prepared for the smooth running of this meeting.
“You can expect a lot of police and the security services are also involved,” he explains. In addition, the stadium, the Bozsik Aréna, with its capacity of 9,000 seats, is relatively small. “Of the available places, only 600 tickets were sold yesterday. These are smaller groups, which obviously plays a role.”
Belgium – Israel in Hungary, an admission of incapacity to ensure security?
The choice of Hungary also has a political dimension, underlines Bos. “Pro-government media emphasize that Hungary is taking on a responsibility that other countries, such as Belgium, are not capable of handling. Although Brussels is home to the headquarters of NATO and the EU, they apparently cannot hold a match safely.”
For Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, it is an opportunity to emphasize his strict security policy. “He does not allow pro-Palestinian demonstrations and emphasizes his strict immigration policy. Orbán wants to show that he can organize such a match safely, which is politically advantageous for him, especially if he stay calm,” says Bos.
