Heavy atmosphere around soccer match vs Israel felt by French team, Deschamps says

France's football coach Didier Deschamps said on Wednesday (November 13) his team was not immune to the 'heavy' context of its upcoming match with Israel, following violent clashes between locals and Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam last week.

Authorities have stepped up security in Paris ahead of a France-Israel soccer match on Thursday (November 14), hoping to avoid a repeat of the clashes in Amsterdam.

READ: Israeli football supporters back home after Amsterdam violence

The Nations League match at the Stade de France comes at a fraught moment, with diplomatic relations between French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu strained by Israel's war in Gaza.

Some 4,000 police will secure the event, deployed in the stadium, outside the ground and on public transport, the Paris police force said.

Only French and Israel flags would be allowed inside the stadium, he added.

Macron will attend the game in a show of solidarity.

Still, turnout will likely be low, with just 20,000 fans expected in the 80,000 capacity stadium north of Paris.

"We'll make sure that it remains a football match despite everything," Deschamps said.

He also said he expects a difficult match, with the presence of Israel's key players, captain Eli Dasa and midfielders Manor Solomon and Oscar Gloukh.

Star forward Kylian Mbappe is left out of France's squad, but Deschamps did not specify if it was due to injury.

(Production: Julien Pretot, Lucien Libert, Michaela Cabrera)