Italy are hosting Israel in the fourth round of Nations League group stage fixtures on Monday evening, but there is expected to only be around 12,000 attendees present at the Stadio Friuli due to extra security precautions.
Why Italy vs Israel is being played in front of a reduced capacity crowd
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Israel’s involvement in it means that extra security measures have been put in place for tonight’s Nations League match against Italy.
11,700 attendees are expected, including around 1,300 local students and amateur footballers invited by the FIGC. That means, though, that more than half the seats in the stadium will be unoccupied.
Extra security measures have also been put in place in and around the city of Udine, including a Red Zone around the stadium, which was closed off to the public around 48 hours before kick-off.
Though officially unconfirmed, Corriere dello Sport suggest that these are anti-terrorism systems that the local authorities have put in place.
Around 1,000 extra law enforcement officers have been deployed in Udine.
