Italian football fans turn their backs during Israel's anthem before Nations League match
A group of Italian fans turned their backs when the Israeli national anthem was played during their UEFA Nations League match in Budapest. The match, originally scheduled to be played in Belgium, was moved to Hungary due to security concerns arising from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
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FollowA group of Italian football fans staged a protest against the Israeli football team during the UEFA Nations League match in Budapest on Monday night (local time). As the Israeli national anthem played, approximately fifty Italian fans, dressed in black, turned their backs to the field. The fans also unfurled an Italian flag with the word 'Freedom' written on it.
The match, originally scheduled to be played in Belgium, was moved to Hungary due to security concerns arising from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Earlier, Israel had suffered a 3-1 defeat against Belgium in a match that was also moved from Belgium to Hungary due to security reasons. Meanwhile, Italy secured their second consecutive nations League victory, defeating Israel 2-1. Davide Frattesi and Moise Kean scored for Azzurri in the 38th and 62nd minutes respectively.
In another match of the day, Norway defeated Austria 2-1. Norway took the lead through Felix Mayhre's ninth-minute strike before Marcel Sabitzer's 37th-minute effort leveled the score. However, the hosts netted a 80th-minute winner thanks to Manchester City star Erling Haaland, who slotted home from inside the box.
France also emerged victorious, defeating a strong Belgian side 2-0. Randal Kolo Muani opened the scoring for Les Bleus in the 29th minute, followed by a stunning strike from Ousmane Dembele in the 58th minute. Meanwhile, the Red Devils managed only four shots on target in the entire 90 minutes of play in Lyon.
Also read: Martin Odegaard injury: Arsenal captain suffers ankle sprain in Norway's Nations League win
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