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A Swedish football fan caught up in last month’s terror attack in Belgium was greeted by national team players after yesterday’s Euro 2024 qualifying match in Azerbaijan.
The supporter known as ‘Lisen’ made the trip to Baku just weeks after the incident in which Swedish fans were targeted by a gunman in Brussels.
Video footage shows Lisen being singled out in the crowd by RB Leipzig midfielder Emil Forsberg before Man United’s Victor Lindelof offered his support.
Two people were shot dead that October night when supporters were locked up in the King Badouin Stadium until 4am while police dealt with the situation.
The man suspected of the attack was shot dead by police the next day.
A Swedish football fan known as ‘Lisen’ was greeted by national team players after yesterday’s Euro 2024 qualifier in Azerbaijan
Victor Lindelof greeted the fan after the Euro 2024 qualifier in Baku
Many Swedish fans still made the trip to Azerbaijan despite the unsettling nature of their recent qualifying match in Brussels
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The qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden was stopped at halftime with the score at 1-1.
Belgian Football Association CEO Manu Leroy revealed that news of the attack filtered before the match, but kick-off was allowed to take place after police and security services had been consulted.
“Ten minutes before the match, reports came in about what had happened around the stadium,” he said.
‘In consultation with the security and order services, it was then announced whether we could start the match.’
Leroy also explained that the decision to abandon the match was made after Lindelof informed that the Swedish players did not want to play the second half.
“After the first half, Sweden’s captain announced that they did not want to start the second half,” Leroy added.
‘Then it was important to discuss with the police how we could best clear the stadium. The decision was made at the highest level at 11:45 p.m.
‘We stood by and looked at how we could best lead people outside. The Swedish fans received a police escort, the players left under a police escort to the airport to fly back to their home country.’
Swedish head coach Janne Andersson revealed to reporters that he and his team were determined not to play out of respect for the victims.
The Euro 2024 qualifying match in Brussels was abandoned at half-time with the score at 1-1
Terrified Belgian and Swedish fans were locked up in the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on October 16 after two fans were shot dead. The match was stopped at halftime
Sweden manager Janne Anderson (centre) spoke to the media shortly after the match was abandoned
“When I came for the break, I got this information,” he said. ‘I immediately felt that it was completely surreal. What kind of world do we live in today?
“I came into the locker room and when the team started talking, we were 100 percent in agreement that we did not want to continue playing, out of respect for the victims and their families.”
Despite the obvious concern that many fans would have felt ahead of this final round of qualifiers, Lisen and others still traveled to Baku for Thursday’s qualifier.
Sweden knew before the match that they had no chance of an automatic qualifying spot for Euro 2024, and they subsequently lost 3-0 as Azerbaijan drew level with them in Group F.