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Police make 2 arrests after brief fan brawl during France-Israel football match under high security
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Police make 2 arrests after brief fan brawl during France-Israel football match under high security

PARIS (AP) — French police officers made two arrests after a brief fan fight during a Nations League soccer match between France and Israel, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said Friday.

Stewards “immediately contained” the brawl inside the Stade de France national stadium on Thursday evening, Nunez said.

“There was the start of a fight. We were extremely reactive, so the incident was contained very quickly,” declared the police prefect, interviewed by France 2.

Officers immediately arrested one person and arrested the other after the game, using video evidence, Nunez said.

Scuffles broke out around ten minutes after the match scheduled for 8:45 p.m. Paris time, in the upper part of the stand behind one of the goals. Some of those involved wore Israeli flags on their backs. The cause of the altercation was unclear and security intervened after about a minute.

The match ended in a 0–0 draw without any further incidents inside the stadium.

Police deployed thousands of officers, beefing up security following violence in Amsterdam before and after a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Dutch authorities said fans from both sides were involved in the unrest. The attacks on Maccabi fans sparked outrage and were widely condemned as anti-Semitic.