{"id":202864,"date":"2025-10-10T12:02:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T12:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/202864\/"},"modified":"2025-10-10T12:02:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T12:02:13","slug":"the-most-controversial-fixture-in-football-plus-a-european-friendly-in-libya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/202864\/","title":{"rendered":"The most controversial fixture in football. Plus: A European friendly in Libya"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Athletic FC \u26bd is The Athletic\u2019s daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox.<\/a><\/p>\n

Hello. Today we\u2019re covering Norway versus Israel, a World Cup qualifier with a highly political subtext.<\/p>\n

Plus:\u00a0Is Libya an appropriate setting for a friendly between Atletico Madrid and Inter? And why are Italy Under-21s wearing eye patches?<\/p>\n

Norway-Israel: The sport\u2019s most controversial fixture\"Erling<\/p>\n

\n Norway are on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 (Sebastian Frej\/MB Media\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

These are heady times for Norwegian football and\u00a0Norway\u2019s\u00a0men\u2019s international team. A hold of nerve this month and next would propel them to the 2026\u00a0World Cup, their first since 1998. Driven by Erling Haaland, they\u2019ve rarely had a better chance of creating waves at the finals either.<\/p>\n

As such, tomorrow\u2019s qualifier against Israel\u00a0in Oslo \u2014 game six of eight in UEFA Group I, which Norway lead by six points \u2014 should be a carnival. But world affairs have overtaken sport,\u00a0turning it into the weekend\u2019s most politically charged fixture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Norway\u2019s Football Federation (NFF), more than any association in the world bar the Palestinian FA, has long taken a clear and public stance over the conflict involving Israel and Gaza. It has said it will donate money from ticket sales for Israel\u2019s visit to Doctors Without Borders, a charity working to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the region.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow\u2019s match falls at the end of the week that marked the second anniversary of the Hamas-led invasion of Israel, when around 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. Approximately 67,000 people are believed to have died during Israel\u2019s military response according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The game also arrives as the Israeli military\u00a0declare the beginning of a ceasefire<\/a>, a process in which the U.S. administration is front and centre.<\/p>\n

Politicians in Norway are outspoken in their condemnation of Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza. On the football front, the NFF president, Lise Klaveness, has supported calls for the Israeli national team to be banned from international competitions, the World Cup included, as a consequence of the country\u2019s invasion. \u201cPersonally, I believe that since Russia is out (due to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022), Israel should be out,\u201d she told the Norwegian podcast Pop and Politics last month.<\/p>\n

As it happens, the Israelis\u2019 prospects of qualifying for 2026 are limited, but that\u2019s not really the point. The country has taken issue with Norway\u2019s critical approach towards it<\/a>, giving tomorrow\u2019s meeting between their sides a fractious backdrop. Security for it is being upgraded, including the reduction of the capacity at Oslo\u2019s Ullevaal Stadium by 2,500. Despite its position, the NFF called for calm, saying: \u201cThis is a football match, not a political demonstration.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no escaping the backdrop<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s status in international football remains unchanged, despite pressure from certain quarters for their suspension. Neither\u00a0FIFA, the world governing body, nor European governing body\u00a0UEFA\u00a0have moved to vote on the issue. In September, the\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0administration unequivocally indicated that it would\u00a0oppose any attempt to impose a ban on Israel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When Norway announced in September that proceeds from tomorrow\u2019s qualifier would go to a charity supporting people in Gaza, Israel\u2019s FA responded with a pointed statement, making reference to Norway\u2019s history of whale hunting. \u201cPlease, make sure that the money is not transferred to terrorist organisations or to whale hunting,\u201d the statement read. Banners inside the stadium are to be strictly controlled, although \u201csmall Palestinian flags\u201d will be permitted.<\/p>\n

Israel head coach, Ran Ben-Shimon, could only say that he would not let \u201cenvironmental noise affect us\u201d. Their own World Cup record \u2014 a solitary appearance back in 1970 \u2014 is more sparse than Norway\u2019s and, in that context, his players need a victory. The sport is, like governments across the world, struggling to know how to respond to the Israel-Gaza crisis. An otherwise enticing qualifier in Oslo has become a political football.<\/p>\n

News Round-Up\"United<\/p>\n

\n Niko Tsakiris curls in a beauty against Chile for the US U-20s (YouTube\/FIFA)<\/p>\n

The USA\u2019s Under-20s steamed into the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Chile yesterday,\u00a0wiping the floor with Italy<\/a>. There\u2019s some real talent in their squad, and\u00a0Niko Tsakiris\u2019 free kick (above) was a beauty.
\nChristian Pulisic\u00a0might miss tonight\u2019s friendly between the USMNT and Ecuador. He didn\u2019t train yesterday because of an unspecified injury.\u00a0Mauricio Pochettino will make a late call on him<\/a>.
\nMiguel Angel Russo, the coach of Boca Juniors in Argentina, has died aged 69.\u00a0He had been suffering from prostate cancer<\/a>.
\nTottenham Hotspur\u2019s\u00a0owners are backing up their insistence that the club won\u2019t be sold\u00a0by injecting \u00a3100m ($133m) in funding<\/a>. It\u2019s the biggest cash injection they\u2019ve made at Spurs in over 20 years.
\nPremier League referee\u00a0Anthony Taylor\u00a0has spoken out about the abuse he receives, revealing his family\u00a0no longer attend games because of it<\/a>.
\nMore voices of dissent towards the drive to take European league matches abroad. FIFA president\u00a0Gianni Infantino\u00a0thinks the plans\u00a0could create a \u201cfree-for-all\u201d<\/a>. And Barcelona\u2019s\u00a0Frenkie de Jong\u00a0isn\u2019t sold either<\/a>, admitting: \u201cI don\u2019t like it.\u201d
\nLucas Akins, the winger who was jailed earlier this year after admitting to causing the death of a cyclist while driving,\u00a0has resumed training<\/a>\u00a0with English League One side Mansfield Town following his release from prison. Mansfield say their decision is \u201cin line with principles of rehabilitation and reintegration\u201d.
\nIt\u2019s Atletico Madrid vs Inter\u2026 in Libya<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Reconstruction Cup-FDRL trophy is a competition that probably won\u2019t ring a bell with you. It\u2019s a prize created to mark the opening of the Benghazi International Stadium, a 42,000-capacity arena newly finished in Libya\u2019s second city.<\/p>\n

Tonight,\u00a0Inter\u00a0and\u00a0Atletico Madrid\u00a0will turn out at the ground to contest the cup and give the venue some profile. The silverware itself is by the by \u2014 a token gesture for a friendly fixture \u2014 but far more attention is being paid to\u00a0Inter and Atletico Madrid\u2019s rationale for agreeing to take part<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Libya is regarded as a fairly dangerous part of the globe. The country is divided in two, and two different regimes control separate parts of it. A number of nations, the U.S. and Spain included, advise citizens against travelling there.<\/p>\n

Barcelona\u00a0initially agreed to take part this evening but then backtracked, in part because of security reasons.\u00a0They\u2019ve repaid \u00a34.3m ($5.8m) they would otherwise have earned<\/a>. Atletico are reported to be receiving \u00a32.6m, and it stands to reason that Inter will cash in too. It\u2019s a story as old as the hills: money talks.<\/p>\n

Why Italian youngsters are training wearing eye patches\"An<\/p>\n

\n Italy\u2019s under-21s have taken on a bizarre look by training while wearing eye patches (Luca Bizzarri \u2013 FIGC\/FIGC via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Innovation doesn\u2019t ever stand still, no matter how much the well of new ideas is drained.<\/p>\n

Last year, we covered the story of Liverpool\u2019s goalkeepers\u00a0wearing goggles in training<\/a>\u00a0designed to limit their vision and improve their natural reactions.\u00a0Italy\u00a0have now taken the methodology in a slightly different direction, asking their under-21s\u00a0to practise while wearing eye patches<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a weird look \u2014 I mean, laughably bizarre \u2014 but there is a point to it, and athletes in other sports have apparently felt the benefit of it. In theory, the patches develop depth perception and the strength of the dominant eye. Italy Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini has used them in previous club jobs.<\/p>\n

The cynic in me wants to mark it down as a 2025 update of the Emperor\u2019s New Clothes but I\u2019ll be following Italy\u2019s European qualifier against Sweden later to see if they\u2019ve developed Jack Sparrow\u2019s knack of winning the day.<\/p>\n

Around The Athletic\"Real<\/p>\n

\n Endrick hasn\u2019t played for five months and doesn\u2019t look like playing soon either (Aitor Alcalde\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Endrick\u2019s situation at Real Madrid is bizarre. He\u2019s a \u00a330m signing who hasn\u2019t played a game for five months, and doesn\u2019t look like playing any time soon.\u00a0My conclusion from reading Mario Cortegana this morning<\/a>\u00a0is that the Brazilian will have to seek a move elsewhere, surely.
\nWeston McKennie\u00a0seems to be in a permanent cycle of trying to hold down a place at Juventus. Now he\u2019s battling to re-establish himself with the USMNT, and feeling like a bit of a new starter again.\u00a0Henry Bushnell spoke to him about his standing in the States<\/a>.
\nNot for the first time in their existence,\u00a0Arsenal\u00a0are thinking about decamping to Wembley. It would allow them to increase the size of the Emirates Stadium and address a vast season-ticket waiting list.\u00a0Amy Lawrence has the details<\/a>.
\nAnge Postecoglou\u00a0fascinates me. Could a Premier League manager really be for the chop after such a short time in charge?\u00a0Our podcast team<\/a>\u00a0have been filling us in on what\u2019s actually happening behind the scenes.
\nQuiz question:\u00a0Two World Cup fixtures have been played a record seven times. One is Argentina vs Germany (including West Germany). Which is the other?\u00a0Answers here later today<\/a>, and in Monday\u2019s TAFC.
\nMost clicked\u00a0in Thursday\u2019s TAFC:\u00a0Manchester United (rashly) promising Ruben Amorim three seasons<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Catch A Match<\/p>\n

(Selected games, Times ET\/UK)<\/p>\n

Friday:<\/p>\n

UEFA World Cup qualifiers (2.45pm\/7.45pm): Group A: Germany vs Luxembourg;<\/p>\n

Group D: France vs Azerbaijan\u00a0\u2013 both\u00a0Fox Sports, Fubo, VIX\/Amazon Prime.<\/p>\n

International friendlies:\u00a0Argentina vs Venezuela, 8pm\/1pm \u2013\u00a0beIn Sports, Fubo, Fanatiz, ViX (U.S. only);\u00a0USMNT vs Ecuador, 8.30pm\/1.30am \u2013\u00a0TNT, Fubo, Peacock Premium (U.S. only).<\/p>\n

Saturday:\u00a0<\/p>\n

UEFA World Cup qualifiers: Group E: Spain vs Georgia,\u00a0Group F: Portugal vs Republic of Ireland\u00a0\u2013 both 2.45pm\/7.45pm and\u00a0Fubo, Amazon Prime, ViX\/Amazon Prime;\u00a0Group I: Norway vs Israel, 12pm\/5pm \u2013\u00a0Fox, Fubo, ViX (U.S. only).<\/p>\n

MLS: Inter Miami vs Atlanta United, 7.30pm\/12.30pm \u2013\u00a0MLS Season Pass\/Apple TV<\/p>\n

Sunday:<\/p>\n

UEFA World Cup qualifiers (both 12pm\/5pm): Scotland vs Belarus, 12pm\/5pm \u2013\u00a0Fox, Fubo, ViX\/BBC;\u00a0Group G: Netherlands vs Finland\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Fox, Fubo, ViX\/Amazon Prime.<\/p>\n

MLS: Austin vs LAFC, 7pm\/12am \u2013\u00a0\u00a0MLS Season Pass\/Apple TV.<\/p>\n

And Finally\u2026\"Marko<\/p>\n

\n Marko Arnautovic scored four against San Marino to become Austria\u2019s all-time record goalscorer (Guenther Iby\/SEPA.Media \/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not often you see a player rushing to fish the ball from the net as a team rampage to a 10-0 victory, but that was Marko Arnautovic last night while Austria were whipping San Marino.<\/p>\n

Arnautovic notched four, establishing himself as Austria\u2019s all-time record goalscorer, ahead of Toni Polster, with 45. San Marino\u2019s goal difference after six qualifiers? Minus 27. Somebody stop the count.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Athletic FC \u26bd is The Athletic\u2019s daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202865,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[64,63,596,1614,13198,85],"class_list":["post-202864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-football","tag-premier-league","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}