Italy fans again turned their backs during the Israeli anthem in protest ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifier, which kicked off at 19:45 UK time at the Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary.

The match was inevitably fraught with tension and controversy as it was played on neutral ground in Hungary due to the ongoing security situation.

A few hundred fans did manage to get into the stands to cheer on the two teams, but Italy's supporters turned their backs during the Israeli anthem, repeating the protest enacted the last time these two teams played in September 2024.

Italian football coaches demand 'Israel' suspension

This closely follows calls by Italian football coaches for UEFA and FIFA to suspend "Israel" from partaking in football events due to the genocide in Gaza and the killing of numerous Palestinian football players.

In a letter to Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina, Italian Coaches’ Association President Renzo Ulivieri stated the decision was unanimous among the association’s national board and described it as a necessary choice driven by a moral imperative.

“The values of humanity, which underpin those of sport, compel us to oppose acts of oppression with terrible consequences,” Uliveri stated, urging UEFA and FIFA to act against "Israel".

Giancarlo Camolese, AIAC vice president, reinforced the call, stating, “People might want us to just shut up and play, turn to look the other way, but we don’t believe that is right.” 

According to the Palestinian Football Association, more than 810 athletes have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including over 40 in July alone. Many of them were young footballers.

Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, voiced support for the Italian coaches’ stance, praising it as an act of conscience over profit.

“This is the Italy I belong to, respect and love: the one that chooses with its conscience and values, not with its fat wallet and ideologised brain,” Albanese wrote on X.