Italy-Israel World Cup qualifier sees boos, nearby protests but no major incidents

The World Cup qualifier between Italy and Israel wraps up without major incidents amid a heavy police presence that included snipers on the stadium roof.

Italy won 3-0, dashing Israel’s last hopes of qualifying for next year’s tournament, and there were skirmishes between protesters and police on the streets of Udine at a pro-Palestinian demonstration before the match but no disruptions during the game itself.

The Israel team bus was escorted to the stadium by 13 police vehicles, including some from the special forces, and several motorbikes. The sound of helicopters surveilling the city filled the air since the morning, with drones spotted in the sky and snipers also seen on the roof of the Israel team’s hotel.

In the city center, around 10,000 people attended a pro-Palestinian march, which stayed incident-free for nearly three hours before arriving at its final stop. Then about 50 people — with their faces covered — started clashing with police, who used water cannons and tear gas to try and disperse them.

Some spectators booed Israel’s anthem before the match, but applause from the rest of the crowd largely drowned that out.

Attendance at the match was estimated at around 10,000 in the 25,000-seat stadium, including a small group of Israel supporters carrying their national flag in the main stand.