Italy fans turn backs on Israel anthem and hold protest signs
Italy fans once again turned their backs in protest during the Israel national anthem ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifier in Debrecen, Hungary on Monday.
The match kicked took place at the Nagyerdei Stadion, with Italy eventually winning a 5-4 thriller thanks to an injury-time goal from Sandro Tonali.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. There was inevitably a degree of tension and controversy around this match, which was played on neutral turf in Hungary due to the on-going security situation.
Israel were wearing black armbands following the terror attack earlier on Monday morning that killed six people who were at a bus stop in Jerusalem.
This prompted even stronger security measures in and around the mainly empty stadium.
A few hundred fans did manage to get into the stands cheering on the two teams, but the Italy supporters turned their backs during the Israeli national anthem.
This was a repeat of the protest that had also been enacted the last time these two nations played football in September 2024.
There were also some banners in the stands, as the Italy fans had printed out 'Stop' signs.
There had been an open letter from the Italian Coaches' Association urging for UEFA and FIFA to suspend Israel, the same way they did Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, over the disastrous humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
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