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Objective 3 points to continue leading the Nations League group and to have a good draw, at least on paper, for qualifying for the next World Cup. In the background is the war in the Middle East which has little to do with football, but of which football is the victim. Italy prepares to face Israel in Udine. At the ‘Bluenergy Stadium’, kick-off at 8.45pm, there won’t be the festive atmosphere that generally accompanies the Azzurri in every match. There are only 11,700 coupons issued (out of a capacity of 25 thousand runners).
Udine armored city
Udine is an armored city and cut exactly in half: on one side those who will watch the Nations League match between Italy and Israel, on the other the participants in the pro-Palestine demonstration. At the moment there is only one certainty: the two events will have no point of connection, because barriers have been set up in the Friulian capital which will prevent any troublemakers from reaching the sports facility, which is located on the outskirts, while the procession it will take place right in the center, a few kilometers away.
Red zone around the stadium
The solution that has been adopted to guarantee public order is the red zone around the Bluenergy Stadium and near the two well-known hotels that host the footballers. In particular, to reach the accommodation facility reserved for Israelis – the same one used by all the big clubs when they are playing in Serie A against Udinese – you have to go past a sort of bunker set up by the police. Security curtain that accompanied the team and staff also on the journey to the stadium for the classic inspection on the eve of the day. Since the eve of the match, the area in front of the football stadium has been off-limits. Barriers and fences have been erected and enormous bollards have been set up to allow a series of pre-filtering before reaching the turnstiles.
450 stewards engaged
The participation of around 500 children from local football schools invited by the FIGC Youth and School Sector and around 800 footballers from local amateur clubs is expected in the stands, as part of a social activity promoted by the Regional Committee of the National Amateur League of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It will be essential for everyone to arrive at least two hours before the start, scrupulously following the instructions of the approximately 450 stewards involved in assisting and protecting public order.
The pro-Palestine demonstration
As for the pro-Palestine demonstration, online participation is growing hour by hour: thousands of people have announced, but from the Police Headquarters and the Prefecture there continue to be no signs of concern about the presence of infiltrators. The procession will start at 5pm from Piazza della Repubblica and should end around 7.30pm in Piazza XX Settembre. Significant security measures have already been deployed in the city for several days under the coordination of the Prefect and the police commissioner of Udine with all the security forces in place who have not overlooked any detail. I continue to monitor the route of the demonstration by the police as well as the surrounding areas and the outside of the stadium where the match will be held.
