Fan hoisted swastika flag at Israel-Italy match in Udine

An international match in northern Italy resulted in increased security measures in advance and a scandal afterwards. A football match between Israel and Italy took place in the stadium in the north of Udine in Carinthia’s neighboring region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, which counts towards the UEFA Nations League. Italy won 4-1. There was an increased terror alert level in the run-up to the game. The number of security forces was correspondingly high.

When entering the stadium, the spectators were strictly controlled, according to the Italian daily newspaper “Mesaggero Veneto”, even more closely than usual. But at least in the case of one fan, the control bodies overlooked something: a red flag with a black swastika. A man hoisted her during the game.

No entry

Even though the flag supposedly only flickered briefly, it was captured in numerous photos and a video. The police also became aware of this. Spectators were therefore carefully checked when leaving the stadium. The security forces finally found the swastika flag on a man from Udine and confiscated it. The man was then banned from entering all sporting events at the stadium in Udine for five years, for which you have to register with a document to enter.

How the flag could have been overlooked upon entry is now part of internal investigations.