Two reporters injured after being hit by stones during protests in Udine.
Italy defeated Israel 3-0 in a controversial World Cup qualifier in Udine on Tuesday evening, advancing to the play-offs, thanks to a double by Mateo Retegui and a late goal from Gianluca Mancini.
The match, which was crucial to Italy’s World Cup campaign, was held amid tight security, with snipers on the roof of the Stadio Friuli, as thousands of people protested on the streets of the north Italian city.
The high-stakes football match was played in front of just 10,000 spectators, around the same number of protesters that joined the pro-Palestinian march which was organised by the Committee for Palestine-Udine.
Under a large banner reading “Show Israel the Red Card”, protesters called on football’s international governing body FIFA to ban Israel from all competitions, saying the team supported “occupation policies” in the Palestinian territories, Reuters reports.
The demonstration ahead of the match was peaceful however towards the end a group of protesters clashed violently with riot police, throwing stones and bottles at officers who responded with tear gas and water cannon.
Several people were injured in the clashes, including a police officer and two journalists who were hospitalised, state broadcaster RAI News reports, and around 20 people were arrested.
A Local Team television operator suffered severe injuries after being hit in the face with a stone, while a RAI News 24 reporter was treated after a stone hit her ankle during the clashes.
#Udine Purtroppo uno dei nostri tre colleghi impegnati per Local Team nel documentare in diretta gli scontri legati alla partita Italia-Israele è rimasto ferito in modo serio ed è ora ricoverato in ospedale. Attendiamo aggiornamenti dai medici nelle prossime ore pic.twitter.com/SkQwedx7R4
— Local Team (@localteamit) October 14, 2025
The violence was harshly condemned by Udine mayor Alberto Felice De Toni, who had been one of the many people in recent months calling for the Italy-Israel match to be called off.
“What happened this evening is unacceptably serious” – De Toni told news agency ANSA – “Our city strongly rejects the violence that erupted in the streets at the end of the demonstration.”
“The march was peaceful and civil,” the mayor continued, “but at the end, some criminals, who had nothing to do with the organisation and the values that inspired it, ruined a day that could and should have been completely different”.
Offering his solidarity to those injured in the clashes, Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said the Azzurri played a controlled game, recalling the “crazy” 5-4 match against Israel last month, stating: “We had it all to lose tonight, don’t forget that, so I feel we did well.”
Photo Corriere dello Sport
