Security will be stepped up at this week’s Champions League matches after a pro-Islamic State media outlet published threats against the venues hosting the quarter-final matches on Tuesday and Wednesday. UEFA confirmed the threat but said the games in Madrid, Paris and London would go ahead as planned on Tuesday, the 9th of April, reports the British broadcaster BBC.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said security measures would be “significantly reinforced” on Wednesday when PSG plays Barcelona in Paris.
Two quarter-finals will take place in Madrid this week.
Pilar Alegría, Spanish government press secretary and sports minister, called for “calm” ahead of the Madrid game and said “more than 2 000 police and civil security personnel” would be deployed.
A UEFA spokesman acknowledged the high terrorist threat for this week’s UEFA Champions League matches and confirmed close coordination with the authorities of the venues concerned.
“All matches are expected to go ahead as scheduled and appropriate security measures will be taken.”
The pro-Islamic State media Al-Azam published an image calling for attacks with the violent caption “Kill them all”, showing the Emirates Stadium in London, the Bernabeu Stadium and the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid and the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris.
Al-Azaim Foundation (Unofficial ISK Media) and Sarh al-Khilafah (Unofficial #IS Media) Circulate a Propaganda Poster Inciting Armed Assaults on #Stadiums in Paris, Madrid, and London, #France, #Spain, and #UK https://t.co/MU8h2AjgDv pic.twitter.com/mPrlNoghxO
— TRACTerrorism (@TracTerrorism) April 8, 2024
Another picture released last week showed the Allianz Arena in Munich, where Bayern Munich will play Arsenal next week.
The threatening jihadist images were published by pro-Islamic State media groups that are not officially affiliated to the organisation itself. It is believed that the instruction to publish these threats may have come from ISIS leadership, as there has been increased cooperation between the official media and its online supporters.
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