A group of pro-Palestinian protesters have been engaged in a scuffle with Israeli footballers during a pre-season friendly match played by Israel's Maccabi Haifa against Lille in Austria, reported ESPN.
ESPN reports: “The friendly football match was ended prematurely as a group of Turkish protesters invaded the pitch and scuffled with Israeli players.”
However, no report of injuries has been filed.
The protesters brandished Palestinian flags and reportedly shouted anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic slogans at the players, and a couple of whom got involved in brief altercations.
According to Allon Sinai, a sports journalist for the Jerusalem Post, punches and profanities were exchanged between the handful of youngsters, who waved Palestinian and Turkish flags throughout the match, and the Haifa players, who were mainly stunned by the scenes.
"The security stewards on hand were slow to react, but ultimately the situation calmed down, with several of the protesters being escorted out of the stadium and the Haifa players leaving the pitch unscathed."
The match, which had five minutes left, was abandoned.
