In the last few hours, the Islamic State, through its Al Azaim foundation, has released an image on social media of a sign threatening to attack the stadiums in Madrid, London and Paris, which will host the Champions League matches.
The threat was reported by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior to Real Madrid, who this evening will play the first leg of the quarter-final match with Manchester City at the Bernabeu stadium, for which security measures had already been strengthened. The prefecture of Madrid was already alerted yesterday, but further measures will be decided in the meeting scheduled for this morning with the security forces, which will also concern tomorrow’s other Champions League match between Atletico de Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at the Metropolitano stadium , again in the Iberian capital, report sources from the government delegation cited by Marca.
For security reasons, the final in Cardiff which was played by Real Madrid against Juventus was played in the Millennium Stadium with the roof closed, by decision of UEFA, due to the threat of possible drone actions from above. Police sources assure that the situation is under control and that the threat is not a cause for alarm, as the Islamic State has repeatedly claimed major sporting events as one of its objectives. But it will be the competition committee with the public security authorities who will decide whether and how to strengthen prevention measures in the two Madrid stadiums in the next few hours.
The threat of attacks by the Islamic State on the Champions League quarter-final matches “are being investigated” and security measures will be further strengthened: national police sources confirmed this to ANSA. The mobilization of over 2,000 public security and Civil Guard agents is expected, according to the current anti-terrorist alert at level 4 – out of a maximum of 5 – strengthened, reports the Ministry of the Interior. Of the four stadiums threatened in the sign published by Al Azaim of the Islamic State, two are the Santiago Bernabeu and the Metropolitano Arena in Madrid, which will respectively host the Real Madrid-Manchester City matches this evening and Atletico de Madrid-Borussia Dortmund tomorrow. The capital is already invaded by thousands of English and German fans. According to sources in the prefecture, it is expected that 4,000 British Manchester City fans will be at the Bernabeu this evening and 5,000 German Borussia Dortmund fans will be at the Metropolitano tomorrow for the two matches considered high risk from a security point of view.
UEFA, ‘aware of the threats, we collaborate with the authorities’
“UEFA is aware of the alleged terrorist threats to this week’s Champions League matches and is working closely with the authorities at the respective venues: all matches will take place as scheduled with appropriate security measures in place.” This is what was underlined in a note by UEFA as reported by Sky News.
Madrid: ‘We are calm’
“The Minister of the Interior and the government want to convey a message of calm” with respect to the terrorist threat of ISIS on the Champions League quarter-final matches, since “an extraordinary deployment of over 2000 police officers and the Civil Guard has been arranged to which are added those of the urban police and the emergency services of Madrid”. This is what the Spanish government spokesperson, Pilar Alegria, said in the press conference following the Council of Ministers. Madrid does not underestimate the threat due to which “security has been strengthened in the stadiums where today and tomorrow we will play in Madrid and next week in Barcelona”, assured Alegria when referring to the return match of the Champions League quarterfinals Barcelona-PSG.
Security strengthened in Paris
Security ahead of the Champion’s League quarter-finals between Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) and Barcelona scheduled for tomorrow evening at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris has been ”considerably strengthened” after a ”threat” from ISIS : this is what the French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, says.
“The prefect of police, with whom I spoke very early this morning, has significantly strengthened the security means”, announces Darmanin in Paris, speaking of a “specific threat publicly evoked by ISIS”. According to sources close to the dossier quoted by the France Presse agency (Afp), “ISIS threatened the quarter-finals of the Champions League, not specifically in France, through one of its communication agencies”.
Interviewed today by the newspaper Le Parisien, Darmanin also illustrates the safety device in view of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (26 July-11 August). Almost one hundred days after the inaugural ceremony, the owner of Place Beauvau – the Parisian equivalent of the Interior Ministry – wants to reassure and guarantees that ”big events are among the safest”. Today, Darmanin points out, “we have no specific terrorist threats to the Organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games”.
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2024-04-09 15:22:00
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