France considers changing stadium to Israel due to security concerns

DUGOUT_

France is considering holding the Nations League match against Israel on 14 November at the Parc des Princes, rather than the Stade de France, for security reasons, according to L'Equipe.

The Nations League group stage match was initially set to take place at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, home of the French football and rugby teams.

Against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict, the French authorities consider that crowd flow management and stadium access security checks will be easier at PSG's stadium. Firstly because of the difference in capacity - a maximum of 47,000 people in the Parc des Princes compared to 80,000 in the stadium.

The Direction Nationale de Lutte contre le Hooliganisme (DNLH) believes it is easier to ensure security outside the Parc des Princes, in the very affluent area of the Porte Saint Cloud than at the Stade de France, as Saint Denis is likely to host more support for the Palestinian cause.

In any case, a major security arrangement is expected for the match, for which the French security forces already have experience after protecting Israeli teams and athletes during the recent Olympic Games.