In the columns of West FrancePhilippe Diallo explained the organization of the France – Israel match: “My position on this match has been clear since the moment of the draw: I have always supported the idea of playing this match at the Stade de France, and with the public, because it is a football match, and that must remain so. I never investigated another option. Football is made to bring people together beyond the opinions and conflicts that may exist. To do this, all match security conditions must be optimal. We work in close collaboration with the Paris police headquarters and the government in this regard. It is about the image of sport, but also of our country, which must show that it is capable of organizing on its territory a match against an opponent designated by the draw.“, he said. He took the opportunity to denounce the violence in Amsterdam between Maccabi and Ajax supporters.
He continued about this tense meeting: “I will let the public authorities reveal all the security measures that are taken. Their goal is that we do not see what I unfortunately saw yesterday, in one of our neighboring and friendly countries, the Netherlands, where what happened is truly shameful in relation to the values of the sport, but also from Europe. It recalls a sad time, when belonging to a faith subjected you to fear and attacks. This tense context can lead many spectators to feel fear. This is not normal. I deplore it, because football is made for sharing, regardless of religion and skin color. And that’s why we put this security system in place to dispel this feeling of fear“. He confirmed that there would be a visitors’ zone for Israeli fans.
