Battlefield

The match between Libyan teams Al Ahly Tripoli (white shorts) and Al Ittihad, was held behind closed doors for security reasons at a stadium outside Milan on Aug 2. The match was part of a collaboration between Italian and Libyan authorities, in light of the security and political crises that continue to plague Libya, for a second year running that will see Libya’s champions crowned in Italy. — NYT

ON a quiet Sunday afternoon in Sesto San Giovanni, a commune on the northern outskirts of Milan, nearly a dozen police vans arrived to provide security at an aging stadium, which like the town itself had seen better days.

Milan is home to one of football’s fiercest global rivalries, between AC Milan and Internazionale.