Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, wishes Thursday November 14 on franceinfo that the Nations League match between France and Israelscheduled for this Thursday evening at the Stade de France, “takes place in a peaceful climate“. An exceptional security system was deployed for this high-risk meeting after the anti-Semitic attacks which took place in Amsterdam last week during a Europa League match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
**>> France-Israel: more than 4,000 police officers, a double perimeter, drastic searches… An update on the security system put in place for the Blues match
**Emmanuel Macron and former presidents, Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande, will notably be present in the gallery. “I am delighted that former Presidents of the Republic, as well as the current President of the Republic, are coming to attend this meeting, firstly for our French team, but also for the symbolic charge which surrounds this match.“, explains Philippe Diallo. According to him, the anti-Semitic violence expressed in Amsterdam “awakened a whole bunch of consciences“. By their presence at the Stade de France, politicians wish “mark an attachment to the values not only of sport, but also of the Republic which are embodied by our French team. It is in this sense that I am delighted to be able to welcome them this evening at the stadium“, he added.
The French Football Federation expects to lose “a few million euros”
The security context has cooled some supporters. Only about 20,000 people will attend the meeting. “I would have preferred that for the return of the French team to the Stade de France, they played as they usually do in front of a full stadium“, regrets the president of the Football Federation. He admits that the”operation“will not”rentable“for the federation, but according to him, it is not”the heart of the matter“. This evening, “the heart of the subject is, on the one hand, that the French team qualifies for the quarter-finals, and secondly, that this meeting takes place in a peaceful climate“, he says. Philippe Diallo estimates the financial losses at “a few million euros“.
The marketing of ticketing was very late. The French authorities only decided on October 15 to keep the meeting at the Stade de France, while for a Blues match tickets are sold six months before the big day. Given the security context, “it is possible that among even current ticket holders there are some who do not come to the stadium“, worries Philippe Diallo.
