Italy will welcome Israel to Udine for a potentially pivotal World Cup qualifying fixture on October 14. The match will be played at the Stadio Friuli in Udine. As of Monday, just 4,000 of the stadium’s 6,000 tickets were sold. This has generated a lot of anxiety about speaking, not least because protests are expected.
Their match comes at a time of tumult, both in the world and at their own federation. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators vociferously voice their disapproval of the tournament given the current war raging in Gaza. Over the last few days, protests have spread to Italy’s training base in Florence, with protesters calling for the match to be called off. Officials in Udine are increasing security measures. They hope to have more protesters on the street outside the venue than there are ticket-holding spectators inside.
Gennaro Gattuso, head coach of the Italian national team, admitted that it was a difficult environment in the build up to the game. He stated, “It’s not going to be a calm environment,” further adding that “There will be 10,000 people outside the stadium and 5-6,000 inside the stadium.”
It’s hard to overstate the stakes for both teams in this matchup. Italy and Israel are level on points in their qualifying group, six points adrift of group leader and tournament hosts Norway. The team that comes in first place overall will win direct qualification to next year’s tournament in North America. Israel has been forced to play all of its home matches in neutral Hungary, as the war in their home country rages on.
The last match played at Stadio Friuli, Italy vs Israel, was marked by an overwhelming, intimidating police presence. Fortunately, the match passed without a hitch and any such scenes. Tempers boiled over on the pitch following Italy’s stunning 5-4 win in what turned out to be a nine-goal classic. In spite of all of the protests leading up to that match, officials were able to keep the peace.
Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian Football Federation, has explained the necessity of proceeding with the match despite calls for its cancellation. Gattuso reinforced this sentiment with a stark reminder: “We have to play this match. Because if we don’t, we’ll lose it 3-0.”
