DECRYPTAGE – Last July, the Israeli delegation played three soccer matches at the Paris Olympic Games. An investigation was opened into anti-Semitic gestures at the Parc des Princes.
It’s not so much a question of who will start up front, or whether Les Bleus will win or lose. what Kylian Mbappé’s absence implies. On Thursday evening at the Stade de France, fans, observers and perhaps even players will be asking themselves: will the reception of the Israeli team go off without a hitch? The war raging in the Middle Eastan extremely sensitive and complex subject, is generating a great deal of anxiety ahead of a soccer match with relatively little at stake. A feeling already present at the dawn of this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
On July 24, two days before the opening ceremony, the Israeli delegation kicked off their Olympic Games with soccer. They faced Mali at the Parc des Princes. Around the home of Paris Saint-Germain, there was nothing but joy and celebration before the start of the match. Malian and Israeli supporters mingled for photos and a bit of roughhousing. “ We’ll win 4-0 “a Malian proudly promised in front of a camera…