French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on Tuesday that Paris police will significantly enhance security measures for the upcoming Champions League quarterfinal match between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.
The increased security measures are a response to a threat made by the Islamic State terrorist group against the Parc des Princes and other European soccer venues that are hosting Champions League matches, as stated by Darmanin.
UEFA has acknowledged the reported terrorist threats and is actively coordinating with the authorities at the relevant locations. The representative further stated that all matches will go as planned, with adequate security measures in place.
London’s Metropolitan Police has established a strong policing plan for the Champions League quarterfinal between Arsenal and Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium in response to the terror threats.
“The terrorism threat level in the UK remains ‘substantial’, indicating a high likelihood of an attack. We collaborate closely with Counter Terrorism Policing to ensure the safety of events in London. We consider any pertinent information that could assist us in safeguarding attendees,” stated Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan.
“We have knowledge of online and media reports regarding calls to specifically attack matches in various European locations, including London.” Nevertheless, I would want to remind the public that we have a strong and effective policing strategy in place for tonight’s play. We are also maintaining close collaboration with the club’s security staff to ensure that the match proceeds without any disturbances.
Arsenal stated that they have a tight collaboration with the Metropolitan Police to ensure the safety and security of all fans and personnel attending matches at Emirates Stadium.
The statement stated that their preparations for tonight’s event are consistent with their usual procedures, and that their strategy, in collaboration with the Police and UEFA, is appropriate given the current danger level in the UK. Arsenal will face Bayern and Real Madrid will host defending champion Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday in this week’s quarterfinals. The matches featuring PSG against Barça and Atlético Madrid against Borussia Dortmund are scheduled for Wednesday.
In the previous month, ISIS acknowledged that they were responsible for an assault at a well-liked concert hall complex in close proximity to the Russian city of Moscow. The attackers forcefully entered the venue armed with firearms and incendiary devices, resulting in the death of a minimum of 139 individuals.
Enhanced security measures have been implemented in the capital city of Spain.
According to police sources, security measures in Madrid are being strengthened in preparation for the city’s two Champions League matches at the Bernabéu and Civitas Metropolitano stadiums.
The police sources consulted by CNN emphasized that this occurrence is not uncommon, as security forces’ anti-terrorism strategies involve continuous surveillance of such threats. They have previously discovered that events with a significant crowd are frequently targeted.
According to the sources, terrorists are actively seeking to perpetuate a state of panic and apprehension following the attack in Moscow.
Due to the high-risk nature of the two matches, the deputy of the Spanish Government in Madrid, Francisco Martín, declared on Tuesday that a “extraordinary security deployment” will be implemented. This deployment will be in line with the alert level defined by intelligence services and state security forces.
This entails the mobilization of roughly 1,900 security officers for the next game on Tuesday, which is expected to be attended by over 76,000 fans. Among them, 4,100 individuals have journeyed from England.
Approximately 1,275 security officers are scheduled to be deployed on Wednesday for a match that is anticipated to be attended by approximately 68,000 spectators.