Nations League: France only 0-0, Italy wins

Fussball: Nations League –

Minor riots in a high-risk game – zero number on the pitch

The Italians are leading their group thanks to the 1-o win against Belgium. There were incidents in the stands during the game between France and Israel.

Published today at 10:52 p.m

The French national team was unable to win against Israel despite dominance.

Photo: Keystone

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The high-risk game between France and Israel at the Stade de France in Paris took place overshadowed by minor riots. Head of State Emmanuel Macron had to watch in the stands as around 50 people fought in the north curve in the first half of the Nations League game. Macron also didn’t see anything pleasant in terms of sport; the 2018 world champion couldn’t get past a tired 0-0 draw.

Despite the high security precautions, things did not remain quiet in the stadium. The clashes also involved fans carrying Israeli flags, as shown in videos. The security forces and police quickly intervened and separated the two groups. The incident lasted a good two minutes.

In terms of sport, the Équipe Tricolore delivered a disappointing performance without their superstar Kylian Mbappé. France is in the quarter-finals thanks to the point win, but the starting position in the fight for group victory has deteriorated. After the 1-0 win in Belgium, Italy increased their lead to three points and also have a home game against the French on Sunday. The decisive goal for the Italians was scored by Sandro Tonali (11th).

No incidents until kick-off

Things remained quiet in Paris until kick-off. A massive police presence had been securing the stadium since the afternoon. According to Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez, the game was considered a high-risk game. 4,000 police officers were deployed for the encounter. They worked in and around the stadium and also in local transport. An additional 1,600 security guards were deployed at the venue.

However, many seats in the stadium remained empty; an estimated 20,000 spectators were just watching the game. Among them were some Israeli supporters, despite a warning from Israel’s National Security Council. Macron and former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande also watched the game in the stands.

England, Austria and Norway with victories

In League B, England won 3-0 against Greece and regained first place in the group from the Greeks. Austria (2-0 against Kazakhstan) and Norway (4-1 against Slovenia) can also win their games and are together at the top of their group with ten points each.

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