Thursday, November 14, the French football team hosts the Israel team at the Stade de France, as part of the 5th day of the Nations League. A poster which should break the record for the lowest attendance in the history of the Blues in this enclosure. The tense geopolitical context and increased security measures are at the origin of the phenomenon.
A special match. From Monday, international footballers will return to their national teams as part of the international break in November. The French team is obviously concerned with two Nations League matches on the program. This Thursday, November 14, the Blues will host the Israel team as part of the 5th day of the competition. A match which does not seem to excite the crowds, since according to information from the daily l’Équipe, it should take place in front of an estimated crowd of between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators, the lowest in history for a Blues match played at the Stade de France.
The previous record for the lowest attendance for a Blues match in this venue dates back more than twenty years, with the meeting between them and New Zealand during a Confederations Cup match on June 22, 2003, which attracted 36,842 people. The sports media specifies that this low attendance forced the organizers to close the upper part of the stadium stands for the upcoming match. A configuration which “aims to facilitate security management and optimize the atmosphere despite the low number of expected supporters”, specifies the Team.
enhanced security
While the situation is still very tense in the Middle East, the holding of the match has long been left in doubt. Faced with the geopolitical context, the authorities opted for a significant strengthening of security around the match. Thus, Bruno Retailleau explained that he had asked the Paris police prefect, Laurent Nuñez, to take all the necessary security measures so that the match took place without problem: “Some are asking for the France – Israel match to be relocated. I do not accept it: France is not backing down because that would amount to abdicating in the face of threats of violence and anti-Semitism. At my request, the Prefect of Police, Laurent Nunez is making the necessary security arrangements for this match to take place at the Stade de France, as usual,” posted the Minister of the Interior on his X account.
Three days later, the French will travel to Italy to face Squadra Azzurra at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan. As a reminder, after four contested matches, the Blues are currently in second place in the standings of group 2 of the Nations League. At the end of this gathering, the Blues will know whether they reach the quarter-finals of the competition or not.
It will be necessary to do without several executives, including Kylian Mbappé. The captain of the Blues misses a second rally in a row. An absence that raises questions.
