Circa 50 Italy ultras turned their backs to the Israel national anthem before a Nations League game last night, while the stadium announcer irritated the Azzurri staff during the match.
Italian ultras in Budapest for a Nations League game between the Azzurri and Israel turned their back on Israel’s anthem last night as a sign of protest.
The game was played at the Bozsik Arena in Budapest, Israel’s home ground since the dramatic escalation in the Middle East war in October 2023.
Italy ultras turn back on Israel’s anthem
Il Corriere della Sera reports Budapest has been chosen for Israel’s home matches as the Hungarian federation is the only one that guarantees security and the lack of Palestinian flags during games. Nevertheless, Italian ultras still found a way to protest Israel.
Corriere reports another minor incident during the match: the stadium announcer encouraged chants supporting the Israel team. The appeal irritated the Italian federation and UEFA, which urged blocking the announcements.
Israel and Italy meet in the reverse fixture in Udine on October 14. A demonstration in support of Palestine, unrelated to Italian ultras and football, has already been announced for the same day.
What a shame!
Well done. They aren’t supposed to be allowed to play to begin with.
Decent thing Ultras have done in ages!
Well it’s not the first time italians choose the wrong side in history 🤣.
MAD.
But you would allow hamas to play Nations League? 😆
My comments have been blocked
It’s the fans right to protest in that way should they choose, no?
I posted about this in the spirit of discussing current events on the Italian National Team forum at Big Soccer. I think it’s a sensitive topic but glad that the folks at FI feel it is a necessary topic to be discussed, because quite frankly, it is. While fans have a right to express their sentiments is a sports arena the right platform for doing so? It is true that sports are often used as a platform to make political statements and clearly the serious fans of Italy believe there are atrocities worth addressing in the middle east. When has there ever not been?
It doesn’t surprise that much that the more fanatic Italians side with the dark side in history, we know that from previous century.
What’s fanatical Leon, about not wanting the aggressors to continue the genocide?
Funny how this is such a hot button issue, but no other wars around the world are spoken about. Shows how antisemitic people are. Well I can tell you this, israel will never stop and israel will never go away. So deal with it.
Good on them. Israel should be banned from competing.
Gino,
genociding women and children is not a solution. Figure that out. That’s not anti semitism, it’s pro humanity, pro innocent lives matter.
Anti-Semitism is alive and well… unfortunately.
It’s a political issue and this a football site, hence why what the Ultras did shouldn’t require a topic of discussion on such a platform.
Everyone has an opinion but such a website is a release from the day to days events of the world so let’s keep it that way
FI, stick to football news/articles please and don’t get sucked in to whatever political agendas the Ultras are trying to convey!an
Belgium didn’t want to play the fixture and we also played like we didn’t want to be there.
when is Iran-Italy on? Does anybody know?
Disgusting. I was ashamed of our fan base last night and was left with a awful taste in my mouth
Forza italia & forza Israel!