"Watching Soccer This Nervous for the First Time"... What Happened in the France-Israel A Match?

France-Israel Soccer National Team Match on the 14th
Incident of Israeli Spectators Attacked on the 7th
Troops Deployed to Prepare for Possible Clashes and Terrorism

On the 14th (local time), the football international match between France and Israel was held under extremely heightened security and tension. The French national football team, led by coach Didier Deschamps, played the 5th match of Group 2 in League A of the 2024-2025 UEFA Nations League at Stade de France on the outskirts of Paris at around 8:40 PM.

On the 14th (local time), Israeli fans clashed with security personnel during the match. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

Earlier, on the 7th in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Israeli football fans were attacked, prompting local authorities and the football community to be on high alert for this match as well. The French government classified the match as a high-risk situation and deployed a total of 4,000 police officers and military police inside and outside the stadium, along with 1,600 stadium security personnel. Additionally, 1,500 troops were mobilized in central Paris, somewhat distant from the stadium, to prepare for any emergencies until 1 AM the following day. Shops around the stadium also closed early in the afternoon as a security precaution.

Out of a total seating capacity of 80,000, about 14,000 spectators attended the match. Although the Israeli government urged its citizens not to attend the match, there were still a considerable number of Israeli fans in the away section. Early in the game, clashes broke out between French and Israeli fans in the stands, but security personnel quickly intervened and established a safety line between them to resolve the situation.

French President Emmanuel Macron (center), Nicolas Sarkozy (right), and former President Fran?ois Hollande are waiting for the start of the 2024-2025 UEFA Nations League football match between France and Israel at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, on the 14th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

Among the attendees at the stadium were French politicians including President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Michel Barnier, former Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Fran?ois Hollande, and Yael Brun-Pivet, Speaker of the National Assembly. Before the match, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar requested the French side to ensure the safety of Israeli supporters. In response, President Macron reportedly told Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the match, "We will ensure the smooth progress of the game." In an interview with BFM TV, he also stated, "We will not succumb to anti-Semitism anywhere," adding, "Violence and intimidation will never prevail in France or anywhere else."