Udine is on lockdown tonight for Italy–Israel, a World Cup qualifier overshadowed by global tensions, unprecedented security measures, and a heated debate over the role of politics in sport.
Concrete barriers, red zones, hotel lockdowns, helicopters overhead, and over a thousand officers deployed: at the Bluenergy Stadium, the ball will be only part of a much larger story — one where sport, politics, and international crises collide like rarely before.
The Match and the Stakes
On the field, Rino Gattuso’s Italy are chasing a win that would all but secure a playoff spot. After the victory in Estonia, the Azzurri sit second in their group, three games from the finish line. First-place Norway, perfect with six wins in six matches, looks unreachable — but beating Israel is crucial to stay in contention.
Gattuso will be without Kean and Bastoni but will rely on the same core that impressed in Tallinn. “It feels like people already think we’re in the playoffs — we’re not,” he warned. “We can’t play with fire.”
Italy are expected to line up with Donnarumma in goal, a three-man defense, and the Esposito–Retegui duo up front. Israel arrive in Udine still in the running for a playoff berth, though their campaign has been inconsistent.
A City Under Siege
Outside the stadium, tension is sky-high. Udine’s Prefecture has classified the match as “high risk,” enacting extraordinary security protocols: concrete barricades, checkpoints a kilometer from the gates, drones and snipers on rooftops. The entire Bluenergy Stadium area is closed to traffic, and both teams’ hotels are under round-the-clock surveillance.
Particular attention is focused on the Israeli delegation, escorted by Mossad agents working alongside Italian police — a presence confirmed only in the past few hours.
The match will be played in front of just over 8,000 fans — less than half the stadium’s capacity — after sections were closed for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, at 5:30 p.m., a large pro-Palestinian march will set off from Piazza della Repubblica toward Piazza Primo Maggio. The event’s poster, designed by Rome-based artist Zerocalcare, echoes the slogan born in the ultras world: “Show Israel the red card”, calling for Israel’s exclusion from FIFA competitions.
Organizers expect around 10,000 demonstrators — likely more people outside the stadium than inside. Authorities have deployed police, special forces, and army units to prevent clashes. “We must balance safety and freedom,” said Prefect Domenico Lione. “It’s a public order test — but we’re ready.”
A European Trend of Protest
Udine is not an isolated case. The presence of Israel’s national team in World Cup qualifiers has become a political flashpoint across Europe.
Just three days ago, in Oslo, Norway–Israel was met with mass pro-Palestinian demonstrations — thousands marching, waving flags, and chanting “Stop the genocide” and “This match shouldn’t be played.” Police closed several stadium entrances, cutting capacity. The Israeli anthem was booed, fans displayed “Show Israel the red card” banners, and one protester ran onto the pitch wearing a “Free Gaza” shirt.
Norway was the first country to formally request Israel’s exclusion from FIFA tournaments, a move that has split European football. The match’s revenue was donated to Doctors Without Borders for Gaza — a gesture praised domestically but criticized by the Israeli FA, which warned against funds “potentially ending up with terrorist organizations.”
Sport and Geopolitics: A Blurred Line
In Udine, as in Oslo, the match has become a symbol — for some, proof that sport cannot exist in isolation from global conflicts; for others, a test of football’s role as a space for dialogue and neutrality.
Friuli Venezia Giulia governor Massimiliano Fedriga said: “Sport should unite, not divide. It’s wrong to use football to create tension, especially in a time of peace talks.”
Udine’s mayor, Alberto Felice De Toni, chose not to attend the match but expressed hope for “a peaceful protest” — and one day, “a game between Israel and Palestine.”
Online, the debate rages: some Italians are calling to boycott the match by not watching it on TV; others insist football must stay out of international politics — echoing FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s official stance. Yet comparisons with Russia’s exclusion from competitions remain unavoidable.
Inside the stadium, the mood will be tense but likely controlled — as will the players, after friction in last month’s first leg. “We’re used to playing against everyone,” Israeli winger Manor Solomon said.
Tonight in Udine, it’s a World Cup qualifier. But in truth, it’s much more than that.
L’articolo Italy vs Israel: “The Match of Discord” — Between Football, Security, and International Protests proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
