A low turnout for France's high-security Nations League soccer match against Israel at the Stade de France on Thursday would be understandable, defender Dayot Upamecano said on Tuesday.

French media expect only 20,000 fans in the 80,000 capacity stadium north of Paris, where President Emmanuel Macron will attend under tight security, with 2,500 police around the stadium, 1,500 across the city and 1,600 stadium staff deployed.

Israeli football fans were attacked in Amsterdam last week by groups shouting anti-Israeli slurs, with at least five people injured after Maccabi Tel Aviv's Europa League game at Ajax.

Some Maccabi supporters were also seen chanting anti-Arab slogans before Thursday's match.

On Sunday, Israel urged its citizens to avoid attending cultural and sports events abroad involving Israelis over the coming week.

French supporters' group Les Irreductibles Français conducted a survey among its members, which showed 15% would boycott the France-Israel match due to the Israel-Gaza war.

Some 30% cited "security risks" with 34% listing practical reasons such as being unavailable or out of holiday time.

"I can understand why people don't want to come. It's their choice. We'll keep going, we'll fight on the pitch," Upamecano told reporters on Tuesday.

Dutch police said they took away more than 300 pro-Palestinian protesters who ignored a ban on demonstrations in Amsterdam on Sunday and detained 50 more following clashes involving Israeli soccer fans last week.

"We will stay focused on the upcoming match. Sorry I didn't see what happened in Amsterdam," Upamecano added.

Asked if the France-Israel match should have been moved he added: "Somewhere else? I don't know at all. I'm just here to play. I've loved playing football since I was little.

"Yesterday was November 11 [Armistice Day]. I love peace, I hope that one day we'll find it again, in every country."

France are second in Nations league Group A2 on nine points from four games, a point behind Italy and five ahead of Belgium. Israel are bottom of the four-team standings without a point.

The Europa League match between Turkish side Besiktas and Maccabi Tel-Aviv on Nov. 28 will be played at a neutral venue in Hungary, European football's governing body UEFA said on Monday.

FIFA is hoping to be granted permission from the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to continue trials of Football Video Support (FVS), an alternative VAR system which gives coaches the chance to challenge decisions.

FVS, which was used at the U20 and U17 FIFA Women's World Cups this year, was approved for testing by the IFAB in March, and FIFA now wants to expand it to other competitions. It was first deployed during the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup, a FIFA competition held in Zurich in May, before being used at the two international tournaments.

Rather than reviews being overseen and controlled only by an official acting as a video assistant referee, FVS gives coaches the chance to make up to two challenges per match if they feel an error has been made.

"We are at the beginning of the trial and the experiences at both the U20 and U17 FIFA Women's World Cup will be carefully analysed but so far, we haven't noticed anything unexpected," Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of FIFA's referees' committee, told ESPN.

"As agreed, FIFA will present a report at the next IFAB ABM and request to continue the trial on a wider basis. Several FIFA member associations already showed the interest to participate to the trial. If IFAB will give the permission, next year there will be several competitions using FVS."

At present, the challenge system is only intended for use in leagues with fewer resources, ideally with no more than four cameras, rather than top divisions like the Premier League.

"Making clear that FVS is not VAR is critical, in particular in terms of expectations," Collina said. "Because of the limited number of cameras, FVS won't be able to show what VAR can show. Offside is an example: without cameras properly positioned, only clear offside can be spotted. This makes the on-field decision important too.

"FVS is designed to work with a limited camera set up, ideally up to 4-5. With more cameras, the process of checking all of the footage and available angles may become very long as, and differently from VAR, there are not any video match officials selecting those clips to be seen by the referee."

With FVS the coach makes a challenge to a decision and the referee then goes to the side of the pitch to view a replay of the incident. Unlike with VAR, there is only a replay operator who cues up the video. The match referee alone then assesses his own decision and isn't told he has made a clear and obvious error in advance.

Collina added: "Even though [the U20 and U17 FIFA Women's World Cup] was the first experience, both for the teams and the match officials, we feel that the outcome was very positive. We ensured that they were well briefed beforehand and we conducted a survey with the coaches after the tournament which showed that FVS was positively received and considered worthy to be used in the future."

Collina said that the FVS challenge system places the responsibility solely on the coaches, and referees would not action reviews themselves.

"Coaches have a limited number of review requests, two per match, and they lose it when unsuccessful," Collina added. "Therefore, they are careful not to waste review requests during the match. It could happen that they make a sort of 'last try' for an incident that occurs at the very end of the match, but that wouldn't necessarily present a tactical advantage.

"Giving the referee the possibility to initiate a review would mean to put him/her under extra pressure, as players would try to convince the referee to decide to go to the monitor every time a decision is taken. For this reason coaches are responsible for the decision to request a review, though they could be recommended by players, as they are often closer to the incident, if not directly involved.

"Part of the FIFA president's vision is to explore both existing and emerging technologies to positively impact the game, especially in order to help referees to make correct decisions. We want to do this while ensuring that any potential use is cost-effective, beneficial and practical across the global football community.

"While VAR is used in some 200 competitions around the world, many others cannot implement it due to the limited financial and human resources available. Football Video Support is a more affordable technology that many more FIFA member association can implement to help referees when needed. VAR and FVS are different solutions for different needs."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs designated running back Isiah Pacheco and defensive end Charles Omenihu to return to practice this week, a source said, freeing them to play as soon as Sunday's game against the Bills in Buffalo.

Pacheco, the Chiefs' leading rusher the past two seasons, has been on the injured reserve list since early in the season with a broken fibula. Omenihu tore his ACL in last season's AFC Championship Game and hasn't played this year.

Both will be with the Chiefs at practice on Wednesday, the source said, and the Chiefs will have a three-week window to move them to the active roster.

Kareem Hunt has filled in for Pacheco as the Chiefs' featured back. He leads the Chiefs in rushing with 449 yards and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns with five.

Pacheco rushed for 830 yards as a rookie in 2022 and 935 yards last season. He rushed for 135 yards in two games this season.

Omenihu had seven sacks in 11 games for the Chiefs in 2023, his first season with the team. He would give the Chiefs another pass-rushing option to go along with Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, recently acquired Joshua Uche and others.

The New Orleans Pelicans suffered another injury blow to their season, losing guard Jose Alvarado for six weeks due to a hamstring strain, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Alvarado suffered the injury in Monday's home loss to the Brooklyn Nets, the Pelicans' fifth straight loss and dropping them to 3-8.

In a season ravaged by injuries, Pelicans are now without six key rotation players: Alvarado, Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones and Jordan Hawkins.

Alvarado has had standout performances recently, posting 20-plus points and five assists in back-to-back games last week. He has averaged 15.0 points, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals and shot 41.9% from 3-point range this month.

For the season, Alvarado is averaging 10.7 points, 4.5 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game. He signed a two-year, $9 million contract extension before the season.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins will promote Derek Falvey to president of baseball and business operations and Jeremy Zoll to general manager as part of a front office succession plan initiated by current club president Dave St. Peter's move into a strategic adviser role.

The Twins announced their executive leadership changes on Tuesday. The transition will take place in the first quarter of 2025, as approved by owners Jim Pohlad and Joe Pohlad. The Pohlad family announced last month that it is exploring a sale of the franchise that Carl Pohlad, the father of Jim Pohlad and grandfather of Joe Pohlad, purchased in 1984.

St. Peter, who joined the organization as an intern in 1990, was appointed the club's fourth president after the 2002 season and added the CEO title in 2016. St. Peter had a big role in helping the Twins secure public funding for Target Field and establish the open-air ballpark as a centerpiece of the North Loop neighborhood on the west edge of downtown since it opened in 2010. The Twins during his time as president twice won the Baseball America's Organization of the Year award.

St. Peter also played a major role in moving Twins broadcasts from their regional sports network home to an MLB-controlled streaming platform for next year in the aftermath of Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy that has disrupted operating budgets and fan connections for several teams. In his new advisory role, the 57-year-old St. Peter will help guide the Pohlad family through the sale exploration process.

"He leads with integrity, compassion and an unmatched dedication to our organization and fans," Joe Pohlad said in a statement distributed by the Twins. "I will always admire Dave's commitment to do right by the Twins."

This front office shuffle was in the works before the Pohlads decided to put the team on the market, St. Peter said. The 41-year-old Falvey has led the baseball department for the last eight seasons and added the president of baseball operations title five years ago. He'll now be in charge of business operations as well.

"I feel truly convicted that Derek is the right successor, and I want to support him in every way and set him up for success, hopefully, over the long haul," St. Peter told reporters. "The move is important because it signals, I'm hoping, to the broader organization and to our partners that there is stability and continuity."

The 34-year-old Zoll has been an assistant general manager for the Twins since 2020 after beginning his tenure with the organization as director of minor league operations in 2018. In partnership with team physician Dr. Christopher Camp, Zoll has overseen all aspects of player performance from biomechanics to nutrition to mental health. He has also overseen the player development system.

Zoll, who will be the seventh general manager in Twins history, has previously worked for four major league organizations since starting his career in 2011. He was assistant director of player development for the Los Angeles Dodgers when he was hired by the Twins. Zoll fills the vacancy left by general manager Thad Levine's departure that was announced after the season.

Regardless of the business-side changes, Falvey, Zoll and the rest of the front office were already facing a challenge of reviving a team that collapsed down the stretch with 18 losses in the last 24 games to miss the playoffs after winning the AL Central in 2023 and ending a record 18-game postseason losing streak. The Twins have won three division titles in eight years under Falvey, but they haven't won or reached the World Series since 1991 nor have they appeared in the AL Championship Series since 2002. That season was the first of six AL Central crowns in a nine-year span, before a rough stretch that preceded Falvey's arrival.

"Probably my biggest regret is we didn't do more damage in the postseason, because we had some really good teams and some really good players," St. Peter said. "I'm really proud of the fact that we were able to compete."

"I really didnt care what was happening on the court, I just tried to play, and it was a good feeling.

"The more popular you become, the more fans you get, the more haters you get, the more attention you get. Sometimes even the good noise can make you off balance.

"You win everything and people say youre a god. You lose two matches and people say 'Your career is finished.' Sometimes its good to just block it."

Australian De Minaur will be knocked out with a match to spare if the other tie in the Ilie Nastase Group between Italian top seed Jannik Sinner and Fritz goes to three sets later on Tuesday (19:30 GMT).

Medvedevs temperament was under scrutiny after his surly behaviour 48 hours earlier but he struck the ball superbly and broke in the third game with a cross-court winner.

He gained a double break when De Minaur double-faulted, and went on to take the first set in 40 minutes.

De Minaur, 25, battled in a pulsating second set but Medvedevs stunning backhand put him 5-4 ahead and he held serve to clinch victory.

Meanwhile, Britains Henry Patten and partner Harri Helioevaara are on the brink of the doubles semi-finals after a second straight triumph.

They beat Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 in a repeat outcome to their Wimbledon final.

The British-Finnish duo are bidding to become the first team to capture the Wimbledon and ATP Finals trophy in the same season since Mike Bryan and Jack Sock in 2018.

World champions South Africa are aiming to have "the two best teams in the world", says centre Andre Esterhuizen.

Head coach Rassie Erasmus opted to rotate some key starting positions in the Springboks' victory over Scotland on Sunday, benching captain Siya Kolisi and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, which has been a common theme under his management of the team since taking charge in 2017.

Their opening Autumn Nations Series victory also put them back on top of the world rankings after Ireland's defeat by New Zealand on Friday.

"One of the good things is that everyone is getting game time now," Esterhuizen, who played instead of regular centre Damian de Allende on Sunday, told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

"It it also about looking forward, you've got to be able to spare all the guys for the next World Cup and build experience into it.

"The aim is to have the two best teams in the world, all in one squad.

"We want to make it second nature for people slotting in, so if someone steps in, they can just slot in and play the same if not better than the other player."

South Africa won this year's Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019, losing one match away to Argentina when Erasmus left the majority of his starting XV at home.

Erasmus previously said he would "rather win the World Cup than sit at an 85% win rate", external after criticism of his side's record between successful World Cups.

"It is very much a team first environment," South Africa defence coach Jerry Flannery told BBC Sport.

"The players coach each other, the 'team first' mentality is stronger here than I have come across.

"Players have come in this year and couldn't believe it was all about making sure the team wins."

French football star Wissam Ben Yedder received a suspended sentence of two years in prison on Tuesday after his trial last month in France for sexually assaulting a woman, one of his lawyers told The Associated Press.

The prosecutor requested a jail sentence of two years, six months, including 18 months suspended.

Lawyer Marie Roumiantseva said Ben Yedder, who was accused of sexual assault while intoxicated, was ordered to pay compensation of 5,000 ($5,300) to the victim. The court in the southern city of Nice also imposed on Ben Yedder a duty to follow treatment.

The plaintiff's lawyer, Frank Michel, said during the trial that the victim was in a state of shock and asked for 25,000 in damages.

Ben Yedder was charged after a woman filed a lawsuit against him in September. He can appeal the ruling.

The 34-year-old player, a prolific striker who has also played for the national team, was briefly detained then released after the incident in his car on the French Riviera. He was arrested at his home later that night after he first refused to stop his car.

The court also ordered the suspension of Ben Yedder's driving licence for six months.

After his arrest, Ben Yedder -- who has since started alcohol detox and therapy -- admitted he drove while under the influence. He said during the trial he was so drunk he has no recollection of any kind of sexual assault.

Ben Yedder has been without a club since his contract with AS Monaco expired at the end of last season.

He scored 16 goals with three assists in the Ligue 1 last season to help Monaco finish second behind Paris Saint-Germain. In five seasons with Monaco, he scored 118 times in 201 appearances in all competitions to become the club's second-highest scorer behind retired Argentine striker Delio Onnis (223).

Ben Yedder has 19 caps for France, the last of which came in June 2022.

In a separate legal case last year, Ben Yedder was charged with rape, attempted rape and sexual assault over another alleged incident in the south of France.

Gerry Faust, who was famously plucked from an Ohio high school to lead Notre Dame's storied football program in 1981, died Monday, his family confirmed in a statement. He was 89.

Faust, who had no college coaching experience prior to replacing Dan Devine in what was dubbed the "Bold Experiment," had a 30-26-1 record from 1981 to 1985. He guided the Fighting Irish to just one bowl victory, 19-18 over Boston College in the 1983 Liberty Bowl, and his teams lost at least four games in each of his five seasons on the sideline.

Despite Notre Dame's mediocre stretch during his tenure, Faust was grateful for the unlikely opportunity to live out his dream by coaching the Fighting Irish.

"I only had 26 miserable days at Notre Dame, and that's when we lost," Faust told the Los Angeles Times in 2008. "Other than that, I was the happiest guy in the world. If I had the opportunity to do it again and knew the results would be the same, I'd do it again in a minute."

The son of a successful high school coach in Ohio, Faust had grown up dreaming about playing at Notre Dame. At an early age, Faust told anyone who would listen that he was going to play football for the Irish.

"I'd loved Notre Dame as long as I can remember," Faust wrote in his book, "The Golden Dream." "When I was in the fifth or sixth grade, I'd ride my bike to practice with my cleats slung over my handlebars, my helmet on my head, whistling the 'Notre Dame Victory March.' Even in the fourth grade, I knew what I wanted and I wasn't bashful about telling others."

As a high school senior, Faust visited Notre Dame the day before the season finale against USC. Back then, recruiting rules allowed college teams to work out recruits. Faust was one of 18 quarterbacks on campus that day, according to his book.

"I was about eighth in line," Faust said. "After I saw the first seven throw the football, I knew I couldn't play football at Notre Dame. They were too good. My next dream was to be the coach at Notre Dame."

Notre Dame offered Faust a partial scholarship, but he didn't accept it because he didn't want to burden his parents with the cost of tuition. He played quarterback at the University of Dayton from 1955 to '57.

In 1960, Faust started building a new football program with borrowed equipment at Archbishop Moeller High School, an all-boys Catholic School in the Cincinnati suburbs. From 1962 to 1980, Faust's teams had a 174-17-2 record (.906 winning percentage), and went unbeaten in seven seasons. They captured nine state championships and four national titles.

In 1977, Faust wrote a letter to Edmund P. Joyce, Notre Dame's executive vice president, and expressed his interest in coaching the Fighting Irish if the job opened one day. Cleveland Browns co-founder Paul Brown later wrote Faust a recommendation, and Faust's lawyer, Ken Schneider, sent Joyce newspaper clippings about Moeller High's accomplishments.

Three years later, Joyce called Faust and asked to meet him at a Cincinnati hotel. It was in the middle of May, and Joyce confided in Faust that Devine was thinking about stepping down because of his wife's ailing health.

In the initial meeting, Joyce told Faust that he had one concern about hiring him: He had never recruited high school players, which was the lifeblood of every college football program. Faust told him that he'd watched Joe Paterno, Bear Bryant, John Robinson and other college coaches recruit his Moeller High players for 18 years.

Devine announced on Aug. 15, 1980, that he would retire at the end of the season.

The day after Faust guided Moeller High to a 30-7 victory over Massillon Washington High in the state championship game, he was hired as Notre Dame's new head coach.

"He was totally dedicated to Notre Dame, almost with a passion, and he was terribly enthusiastic, totally optimistic," then-Notre Dame president Theodore Hesburgh wrote in his book, "God, Country, Notre Dame." "He was the high school football coach with the best record in the country, and [Joyce] and I thought it was worth taking a chance on him."

When Faust saw Notre Dame's schedule for 1981, he said, "I hope my lifelong dream doesn't end in a nightmare."

Unfortunately for Faust and the Fighting Irish, his tenure was more of a nightmare. Notre Dame defeated LSU 27-9 in Faust's first game and ascended to No. 1 in the AP poll. It was the peak of his five-year tenure. The Fighting Irish dropped four of their next five games and finished 5-6.

Notre Dame went 6-4-1 in 1982 and 7-5 in 1983 and 1984.

Joyce and Hesburgh had promised Faust they'd give him five years to build a program and stood by him, despite mounting pressure from alumni and fans to dump him.

The Irish lost three of their first four games in 1985. In a 10-7 loss to LSU on Nov. 23, 1985, Irish receiver Tim Brown dropped a pass across the middle that might have put his team in position to win the game. Brown was inconsolable in the locker room, and Faust knew it was time for his tenure to end.

"Tim, you didn't cost us the game," Faust told him. "You wouldn't have had to catch the ball if I'd made the right decisions. Don't put that burden on you. That burden should be on me."

With a 5-5 record, Faust announced his resignation on Nov. 26, 1985. The Irish lost to Miami 58-7 in his final game.

"If you're ever going to put the blame somewhere, put it on the coach," Faust said at the news conference announcing his resignation. "That's where it ought to be. We got started on the wrong foot five years ago and never did bail out of the thing."

Faust coached at the University of Akron for nine seasons (1986 to '94), posting a record of 43-53-3. He worked as a fundraiser at the school before retiring in 2001.

Faust returned to Notre Dame often in his later years and was a mainstay in the press box on game days.

"Certainly, it was a highlight of his life to get the Notre Dame job," Joyce once told ESPN. "It was the answer of his dreams from the time he was a toddler. The low part of his life is possibly not succeeding there, but he doesn't let it get him down. When he's going to be judged up above for his whole life, he might get more credit for the way he's reacted to adversity than all the good fortune he had."