PARIS — Following a brief altercation among fans during a Nations League soccer match between France and Israel, French police apprehended two individuals, as reported by Paris police chief Laurent Nunez on Friday.

Nunez noted that stewards swiftly responded to contain the disturbance, which occurred inside the Stade de France national stadium on Thursday evening. “An altercation began to take shape. Our response was prompt, and we managed to control the situation very quickly,” he stated in an interview with broadcaster France 2.

According to the police chief, one suspect was detained right away, while the second was arrested post-match, aided by video surveillance evidence.

The incident occurred approximately ten minutes after the match commenced at 8:45 p.m. local time, particularly in the upper tier of the stands behind one of the goals. Some fans involved in the fracas were seen with Israeli flags draped over their shoulders. The motivations behind the conflict remain unclear, but security personnel intervened within a minute to restore order.

The match concluded with a score of 0-0, and no additional issues were reported inside the venue thereafter. In anticipation of potential disturbances, police had deployed thousands of officers, enhancing security measures in light of recent violent incidents in Amsterdam related to a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Authorities in the Netherlands indicated that fans from both clubs played a role in the unrest, which included assaults on Maccabi supporters. This violence has drawn significant criticism and was condemned as antisemitic by various groups.