France vs Israel to have 60,000 EMPTY seats as security ramps up for 'high risk' Nations League clash

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Thousands of police are being deployed in Paris to ensure security at tonight’s France vs Israel football international with the Stade de France to have 60,000 empty seats.

SAS-style elite special forces, RAID, will be monitoring the streets across the city ahead of the UEFA Nations League clash with officials announcing there will be at least one cop per three football fans in the capital. Up to 6,000 other officers are all scheduled to be on duty. The concern has gripped the city a week after violence in Amsterdam following the Ajax vs Macccabi Tel Aviv game. With the international break now underway, Israel's national side are due to play France away in Paris before travelling to play against Belgium on Sunday. The match against Belgium has already faced intense scrutiny with it being moved to a neutral venue in Hungary due to safety fears.

Despite France agreeing to host the 81st ranked international side in their capital, a number of security measures have been put in place. Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez says 4,000 officers will be on patrol, 2,500 at the Stade de France in the northern Paris suburbs and the rest on public transport and inside the capital. In addition around 1,600 private security guards will be on duty at the stadium, and an elite anti-terrorist police unit will protect the visiting Israeli squad.

“It is a high-risk match (because of) an extremely tense geopolitical context,” Mr Nuñez said. “We will not allow any attempt to disturb public order.”

The stadium, which can hold 80,000, will be only a quarter full, following advice by the Israeli government. Around 150 Israeli fans are expected to travel to Paris.

On the eve of the match in Paris, protests erupted against a gala organised in support of Israel. The gala, meant to raise funds for the Israeli military, had invited Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich as one of the guests. Several hundred protesters marched through central Paris denouncing it as a "gala of hatred and shame”.

France’s far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party – which sides with Palestinians and Lebanese in the conflicts with Israel – has called for Thursday’s match to be cancelled, or at least for President Emmanuel Macron to refuse to attend.

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