“What we can do and what we will do is that there will be double control, a security perimeter around the anti-terrorist stadium. We will have a total of 4,000 people on the system. There will be 1,600 security agents also hired by the FFF (French Football Federation). On average it’s 1,200 or 1,300 for France matches when it’s a sold-out stadium”
Laurent Nuñez, Paris police prefect, detailed this Sunday on BFM the security measures which will govern the holding of the France-Israel match at the Stade de France this Thursday, November 14. This match will take place against a backdrop of conflict in the Middle East, renewed tensions between the two nations and a week after the serious clashes in Amsterdam.
We already know, the stadium will not be full, far from it. Around 20,000 spectators are expected, for a capacity of 80,000 seats. It is therefore still possible to obtain tickets on the federation’s website for prices ranging from 23 to 145 euros. These tickets are “strictly” nominative with a deadline constraint. “The deadline for modifying beneficiaries and transferring tickets is set for the day of the match, 11/14 at 12 p.m. After 12 p.m., it will no longer be possible to change names or transfer,” the prefecture said in a press release this Sunday.
Spectators are also warned in advance: “a possible identity rapprochement will be carried out around the stadium”. This is to prevent certain groups of spectators from mixing together. It is therefore essential to come to the match with an identity document, a CNI or a passport. The spectator who refuses this measure will not be able to enter the stadium. No exceptions will be tolerated.
It will be forbidden to enter with a Palestinian flag. Only French and Israeli flags will be admitted. “For spectators, there will be a security system around the stadium with double control: at the entrance to the protection perimeter, then at the entrance to the stadium. With each time identity check, search, pat-down,” continues the Paris police prefect on BFM.
Know this before coming: backpacks will be prohibited, like all containers with liquid such as bottles, water bottles… “Security in the evening of France-Israel will be around the stadium, the immediate surroundings, public transport . The lesson from Amsterdam is that you have to be present everywhere. This is a high-risk match. We are hiring a very substantial and unusual volume of staff for this type of meeting, insists Laurent Nuñez. Spectators will be able to attend this match in complete safety. »
