Maccabi Haifa’s visit to Paris, high risk

On August 13, the stances of the PSG radicals displayed a flag in support of Palestine. For a long time, members of the Collectif Ultras of Paris participated in demonstrations in favor of those people, which were in opposition to Israel. Tomorrow, the Champions League returns to the Parc des Princes and the French team face Maccabi Haifa, a commitment that has been declared high-risk due to fears of clashes between fans.

Last Thursday, a meeting was held to perfect the security apparatus and review the information available on the transfer of thousands of Maccabi Haifa fans. The authorities classified this meeting as a risk level 3 on a scale of 5. Tomorrow there will be a deployment of around a thousand agents around the stadium, while the Israeli team travels with security personnel who will accompany the delegation .

Right now, there are 1,500 Maccabi Haifa fans with tickets in their hands. About a thousand came from Israel. In the last few hours, the mayor of Haifa, Einat Kalisch-Rotemwas appealed to Anne Hidalgo, its counterpart in Paris, to try to find more seats to meet the high demand there. There is talk of 8,000 potential fans, although this number has not been confirmed.

In any case, the risk of conflict between hobbies increases the more the number of arrivals from Israel. The public authorities are afraid that the ultras of one club and another want to face each other, either in the same stadium or in the previous one, in places like the subway: “We know that the context is specific, but we do not want to fall into the trap of violence. We have given instructions in this regard”, confessed a leader of the Collectif Ultras in Paris.