Udine, Italy (AP) — There is a sniper on the roof of the Israeli team’s hotel in Udine, and the Italian city is on maximum alert ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup qualifiers.
The air had been filled with the sound of helicopters monitoring the city for several hours earlier this morning. Italy vs Israel match Kick-off was scheduled to take place at the Stadio Friuli.
Despite the breakthrough, the match fell into the highest risk category armistice agreement it stopped for 2 years war in gaza.
The pro-Palestinian march is scheduled to begin in the city center a few hours before kick-off and is expected to draw around 10,000 people. It will keep them away from stadiums located on the outskirts of cities.
Many shops and restaurants have decided not to open on Tuesday, and there are strict rules for those that do, including removing outdoor furniture and items that could be used as weapons.
The Israeli team’s bus will be escorted to the stadium under maximum security, and there will be a sniper on the roof of the arena, as well as a large police and military presence.
Italy too We played against Israel in Udine a year ago.was chosen due to the relative difficulty of access to the city in northeastern Italy, near the Slovenian border, and the ease of isolating the stadium, which is surrounded by road closures.
The area has been declared a “red zone” and only fans with tickets will be able to pass through tall metal barriers. Supporters are urged to arrive early as there will be strict screening, including everyone having to pass through a metal detector.
Just over 9,000 tickets have been sold for the qualifying round, which will be held at the 25,000-seat Stadio Friuli, and it is believed there will be fewer people inside the stadium than at the demonstration.
Last year, there was a pro-Palestinian demonstration before the match, but only about 1,000 people participated.
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