Italy will host Israel in the World Cup Qualifiers. Before the match, the streets were chaotic and security measures were increased.
Italy will host Israel in the World Cup Qualifiers.
The match, which starts at 9:45 p.m., will be played under tight security conditions due to a pro-Palestinian march in the city of Udinese.
FANS REFLECT THE MATCH
While local law enforcement officials expected more than 10 thousand activists to participate in the Palestinian march, it was announced that only 9 thousand tickets were sold at Green Energy Stadium, which has a capacity of 25 thousand seats.
Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso expressed his joy at the peace achieved in Gaza before the match and issued statements aimed at easing tensions.
“We respect the protesters” Gattuso said: “We are happy about the decision to ceasefire. It is emotional to see the people of Gaza return to their homes and lands. We respect the protesters outside the stadium, but we will go out and play the match with our supporters in the stands. I hope peace will last forever. There is nothing worse than what happened in the last two years.” he said.
THEY ARE COMPETITING FOR THE WORLD CUP Italy, who failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, is competing with Israel for the play-offs with second place in the group. In Group I, where Norway is the undefeated leading team, Italy with 1 loss is in second place with 12 points, and Israel is in third place with 9 points.