France-Israel: since football is political – League of Nations – J5 – France-Israel (0-0)

What noise can 16,611 spectators make in a stadium that can accommodate five times that number? Enough to boo with the same intensity the Israeli anthem, the entry into play of the neo-Marseillais Adrien Rabiot or the poor performance of Blues. Enough also to push songs to the four corners of the stands in support of the hostages in captivity since October 7, 2023 or against Hamas. A scuffle did break out at gate N shortly before the break, in one of the sectors where the supporters were (strangely) mixed, but that was all that shook this France-Israel which had aroused so much fear. Somewhere so much the better, but this climate of anxiety in a bunker-like stadium should never be a setting for a football match.

Resistance far from the stadium

This should never have been held, according to the opinion of a few hundred people gathered on the same day at 6 p.m. at the Front Populaire metro station. It is here, under the windows of what was the headquarters of Paris 2024 and two kilometers from the Dionysian enclosure, that a mobilization around the Urgence Palestine collective was organized. The authorities won’t let them get any closer. These activists who have been taking to the streets for months to denounce the ongoing massacres in Gaza are coming today “denounce double standards” who see “Russians excluded from all international competitions and Israel which is still integrated into FIFA and UEFA, in a form of unbearable impunity”. The speeches declaimed on the microphone target French political leaders who have confirmed their presence in the gallery, after having allowed the holding of a gala the day before at the far-right association Israel is Forever in support of the Israeli army to which Bezalel was invited Smotrich, the supremacist finance minister in the Netanyahu government.

It’s this « schizophrenia of the French state » which Éric Coquerel, local LFI deputy, loathes. « Even admitting that we are not boycotting the match because the UEFA regulations oblige us to do so, given the current situation with a state which is committing genocide in Gaza, which is colonizing the West Bank, which is bombing Lebanon, that could have happened in a deserted stadium »develops the chosen one in the middle of the banners and flags. Fatma, with a sign at her fingertips, directly calls out to the players of the France team. “They did not have the courage to show solidarity with the 450 athletes who died in Gazavituperates the sixty-year-old. I don’t understand how you can be afraid for your career when thousands of people are being killed. » To console ourselves, on this side of the A86, we prefer to remember the absenteeism of the public for the evening poster. « Fortunately, the French people, including football fans, are more intelligent than those who claim to speak in their name »reassures Éric Coquerel. « Being 20,000 spectators instead of 80,000 is already resistance »adds Fatma.

A forum for expression

The path to the stadium will also be the path to depression. Instead of the usual influx of painted supporters and good-natured entertainment, the arteries of Saint-Denis are plunged into a silence reserved for autumn nights, which only the cohorts of CRS vans disturb. Behind the security lines, after the pat-downs, some tried the adventure, even if it meant turning a blind eye to the situation. « It’s a shame to mix sport and politics like that, we came to see a football matchsaid Anthony, who came from Lille with his tricolor hat. I think that Israeli players have nothing to do with what is happening now. » Gabriel comes from Lyon and was especially motivated by the idea of ​​returning to the Stade de France 17 months later. « I’m often with the Irrésistibles Français in turns. The idea was to meet up with friends at the SDF, but this is the first time there will be such a small turnout…” He too had no idea of ​​turning on his heel. “I looked around to find out who was coming or who was not coming, but given the context, the majority stayed at homehe laments. Myself, the closer the match got, the less I wanted to come. » Fabrice, another member of the IF, also had difficulty overcoming his reluctance: « I’m a firefighter so we always keep in mind that something could happen. »

This meeting was ultimately mainly honored by Israel’s supporters. If a few dozen were parked through the Hebrew State, the Jewish community of France displayed hundreds of Star of David flags in the other stands. Jonathan and Johanna came as a family and hid theirs under the coat during the journey. « We want to see a great match and have fun. As a Paris supporter I hope to see Kolo Muani score a goal » said the father, relayed by his wife: « We already did Israel-Japan during the Olympics in Nantes and it went really well. This time the children wanted to discover the Stade de France. I have a brother who is in Israel who is very afraid for us, despite everything that will happen there, our parents are freaked out but I refuse not to do something because we are Jewish. If people want to demonstrate, that’s their right, but we shouldn’t mix everything up: it’s supposed to be a moment of pleasure, not anxiety. »

It is surely to exorcise this anxiety that Dan dressed from head to toe in Israeli colors. « We are mainly here to show that we are not afraidhe proclaims among his friends. We came from Sarcelles, we took the RER, we didn’t hide and we had no problems. I’m already super happy that it’s not behind closed doors, it shows that France is not lowering its head. » At the confluence, there is Christophe, French flag in his hands, Israeli scarf around his neck: « We came to see a football match. It must happen with tolerance, kindness and good humor. I am neither pro-Israeli nor pro-Palestinian, I just want the public authorities to do something for the Palestinian, Israeli and Lebanese people. This has been going on for too long. » 90 minutes later, everyone will go back to their corners agreeing on one thing: this match will not have changed the face of the world.

France-Israel is officially the lowest attendance in the history of the Stade de France