Hand-to-Hand Clash Erupts Between Israeli and Italian Players After "Azzurri" Thriller Victory

In a match filled with excitement and tension during the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, the Italian national team secured a difficult 5-4 victory over Israel. Despite the win for the "Azzurri," the final whistle did not bring an end to the tension. Instead, it marked the beginning of a verbal and physical altercation between players from both teams.

Cameras captured a clash between several Israeli players and their Italian counterparts, as well as with Italy's coach, Gennaro Gattuso, immediately after the referee's final whistle. This incident reflects the tense atmosphere that prevailed throughout the match.

The game saw a back-and-forth exchange of goals. Israel took the lead first with an own goal by Manuel Locatelli in the 16th minute, before Moise Kean equalized for Italy in the 40th minute. In the second half, Israel again went ahead through Dor Peretz in the 52nd minute, but Kean leveled the score just two minutes later. Italy took the lead again with a goal from Giacomo Raspadori in the 81st minute, before an own goal by Alessandro Bastoni and a goal from Peretz for Israel tied the match. In the final moments, Sandro Tonali scored the winning goal for Italy in the 90+1 minute.

With this result, the Italian team holds the second spot in the group standings with 9 points from 4 matches, while the Israeli team sits in third with the same number of points but from 5 matches. The group also includes Norway, Moldova, and Estonia.