On either side of the road leading to the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao, Spain, local supporters formed a line of honor that stretched several hundred meters. It was the Basque Country team that hosted this Saturday, November 15, but when the buses of the two protagonists of the evening appeared, it was the opponents who were cheered by the crowd, with screams. “Freedom for Palestine!”. On the bus, the cast happily films the scene and greets their host. For the first time in its history, the Palestinian election – a “brother”said the Basques in unison – competing to meet on the European continent. A friendly match, but not a match like the others. “Fútbol for peace” (“football for peace”), made headlines that same morning on the front page of the sports daily Mundo Deportivo.
All proceeds from the meeting must be paid to the NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in solidarity with the residents of the Gaza Strip, devastated by two years of Israeli bombing. A ceasefire came into effect on October 10, but it has only been partially respected and humanitarian organizations continue to warn about it.
