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PARIS — France will deploy 4,000 police officers to ensure security during Thursday’s UEFA Nations League match between the French and Israeli national football teams, French daily Le Monde reported on Saturday.
Around 2,600 gendarmes and police officers are set to be stationed around the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, where the match will take place.
The stadium, located in the northern Paris suburb, is the largest in France, with a capacity of around 81,000 people. Plainclothes officers will also be present in the stands during the match.
In addition to securing the stadium, France’s elite riot police, the CRS (Republican Security Corps), will be deployed throughout Paris. The Israeli team will also be under police surveillance at their hotel.
To prevent a pitch invasion, the closest rows to the field at the Stade de France will remain empty.
The security operation comes after France faced criticism over the location of the match.
Some had called for the game to be relocated, but French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau rejected the idea, stating that relocating the match would be giving in to threats of violence and antisemitism. “France will not back down,” he said in a statement on X.
The match is set to kick off at 19:45 GMT, with France aiming to secure a place in the Nations League quarterfinals with a victory.
France currently sits second in Group A2 with nine points from four matches, behind Italy, who have 10 points. Israel, on the other hand, has lost all four of their matches, placing them at the bottom of the group.
The match will be closely watched, as France looks to build on their recent strong form and edge closer to qualification. — Agencies
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