France’s political elite to attend Les Bleus’ match against Israel amid tense preparations | OneFootball

It has been 17 months since France last played at the Stade de France. It won’t be a warm return to the national stadium when Les Bleus face Israel in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday, far from it in fact.

The stadium has entered high-security mode given the political context in which Israel are making their visit to the French capital. There are grills all around the stadium and tarpaulin covering the seats closest to the pitch. It is thought that only around 15,000 fans will be present at the Stade de France, a stadium with a capacity of 80,000.

Security forces will be very present at this Nations League encounter with 4,000 expected to be assigned to this fixture. Among the mere 15,000 present at the Stade de France will be France’s political elite, as per Le Parisien. President Emmanuel Macron will be in attendance, as will Prime Minister Michel Barnier and former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The President’s Palace told Le Parisien that their presence marks a “gesture of solidarity and brotherhood” towards the Jewish community. In what is expected to be an eerie Stade de France, the highly political context in which this Nations League will take place will likely be visible and audible throughout.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle