Italy hosts Israel in the fourth round of the Nations League group stage on Monday evening, but only around 12,000 visitors are expected to be at the Stadio Friuli due to extra safety measures.
Why Italy vs Israel will be played in front of a limited capacity audience
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Israel’s involvement mean that extra security measures have been put in place for tonight’s Nations League match against Italy.
11,700 visitors are expected, including approximately 1,300 local students and amateur footballers invited by the FIGC. However, this means that more than half of the seats in the stadium will be unoccupied.
Additional 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 to the public approximately 48 hours before kick-off.
Although not officially confirmed, Corriere dello Sport suggest that these are anti-terrorism systems that local authorities have set up.
About 1,000 additional law enforcement officers have been deployed in Udine.
