A group of about 50 Italy fans, dressed entirely in black, turned their backs in protest during Israel’s national anthem before a Nations League match in neutral Hungary on Monday.
The fans also displayed an Italian flag with the word "Liberta" ("Freedom") on it, along with banners featuring black slashes, held by "ultra" supporters.
Israel relocated its home games to Hungary due to the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has close ties with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has long promoted Hungary as the safest country in Europe for Jews. Orban has banned Palestinian solidarity protests, arguing they pose a threat to public safety.
The same group of Italy supporters who turned their backs during the anthem also chanted against Italian anti-fascist activist Ilaria Salis during the first half, the Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported.
Salis was released from house arrest in Budapest in June after facing charges for allegedly assaulting far-right demonstrators.
Salis was freed after being elected as a member of the European Parliament for the Italian Green and Left Alliance.
Salis became a hot-button political issue in Italy after images emerged of her handcuffed and shackled in a Hungarian courtroom, where she faced trial.
The Israel-Italy game was played at Bozsik Arena in Budapest, while Belgium’s 3-1 win over Israel on Friday was held in Debrecen, Hungary. Friday’s match was a home game for Belgium, but the Belgian football federation said in July that "no local authority in Belgium considers it possible" to host a game against Israel for security reasons.
Italy is scheduled to host Israel in Udine on Oct. 14, although Udine’s city council has not endorsed the match, and a pro-Palestinian protest is planned for the same day in the northern city.
