French Government doubles security for their friendly against Scotland after an ‘ISIS gunman’ targeted and killed two Swedish fans ahead of their match against Belgium
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has announced that security will be significantly increased for their friendly match with Scotland on Tuesday, after two Swedish fans were killed in a suspected terrorist attack in Brussels.
Sweden’s qualifying match for the 2024 European Championship with Belgium was abandoned at half-time on Monday evening.
Two supporters, reportedly wearing Swedish shirts, were shot in the city before the match, while a third was also injured.
At a press conference Tuesday morning, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the motive behind the attack was that the victims were Swedish.
Local authorities in Brussels are treating the attack as terrorism, with a suspect arrested by police in the city.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has announced that security will be increased for their friendly match against Scotland following the suspected terrorist attack in Brussels
Darmanin said police presence for the friendly meeting will be doubled after the attack
The increase in security follows the abandonment of the Belgian match against Sweden on Monday evening, after two Swedish fans were shot dead in an attack in Brussels
Speaking on radio station RTLDarmanin confirmed that security at the French border with Belgium will be doubled.
The French Interior Minister added that police presence will be doubled for the match against Scotland at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium in Lille.
“We have no information indicating that he (the attacker) could be on his way to France,” Darmanin said.
‘Following the attack in Brussels, I immediately requested reinforcement of troops at the border.
“In addition, we will double the number of police and gendarmes mobilized for the match in Lille tonight.”
The French government raised the highest terror alert last week after a suspected ISIS supporter reportedly stabbed a teacher to death and seriously injured two others.
French authorities have raised the country’s anti-terror alert level to an “emergency strike” – which could trigger additional security deployments and public warnings – after President Emmanuel Macron described the act as “barbaric Islamist terrorism”.
The announcement led to 7,000 soldiers being deployed in increased security patrols in major city centers and tourist locations.
Police arrived at the scene of the shooting while the match was underway in Brussels
The shooting took place on Boulevard d’Ieper, about five kilometers from the stadium
Swedish fans were kept in the stadium after Euro 2024 qualifying was abandoned
Supporters were evacuated from the stadium more than two hours after the match was stopped
Belgian police surrounded the stadium as shocked fans made their way home
France is currently hosting the Rugby World Cup with the tournament in its semi-final stages, while Paris will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer.
France has been the victim of several terrorist attacks in recent years.
The country’s deadliest terrorist attack ever occurred in November 2015, when 130 people were killed in Paris after suicide bombers pledging allegiance to ISIS targeted the Stade de France, cafes, restaurants and Bataclan music venue, killing 90 people.
France was playing a match against Germany at the Stade de France at the time of the attacks.
Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne told the press conference that the suspect in last night’s attack was a 45-year-old Tunisian man who applied for asylum in Belgium in November 2019.
Van Quickenborne said the attacker was known to the police for human smuggling and illegal residence in Belgium.
A video posted online showed a man in a fluorescent jacket claiming a link to Islamic State and saying in Arabic that he had carried out a “revenge attack.”
In it, he boasted that he had killed “infidels” after posting on Facebook earlier in the day referring to the stabbing of a Palestinian boy in the US by his mother’s landlord.
Amid disturbing scenes, UEFA released a statement confirming the cancellation, which happened at half-time during the match at the King Baudouin Stadium. Swedish fans were asked to remain in the ground for their own safety.
France will play Scotland at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium in Lille on Tuesday
Didier Deschamps’ side will host Scotland as both teams prepare for next summer’s European Championship
Scotland boss Steve Clarke saw his team’s qualification for Euro 2024 secured this week
French authorities have raised the country’s anti-terror alert level and mobilized 7,000 troops last week after an alleged ISIS supporter allegedly stabbed a teacher to death
French President Emmanuel Macron and French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin visited the site of the attack last week before the threat level in the country was raised
It read: ‘Following a suspected terrorist attack in Brussels this evening, after consultation with the two teams and local police, it has been decided that the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden will be abandoned. Further communication will take place in due course.”
‘Due to the incidents in Brussels earlier this evening, the game has been suspended. Our thoughts are with all those affected,” said a message from the Belgian national team on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Reports indicate that players from both teams decided at half-time that the match should not continue. The score was then 1-1. Viktor Gyokeres gave Sweden a fifteen-minute lead, but Romelu Lukaku brought Belgium level just after the half hour.
Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof and Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski were also involved.
Lindelof has called for the European Championship 2024 qualifying match not to be completed, with the defender also saying his team did not want to play the second half on Monday evening.
A message from the Swedish Football Association read: ‘Message to Swedish supporters on site in Brussels: The Belgian police want Swedish supporters to remain in the arena for safety reasons. Participate in information from officials, authorities and employees of the SvFF (Swedish Football Association) on site.
‘We will come back if the Belgian authorities provide us with new information. Stay calm and take care of each other. Our thoughts go out to all the relatives of those affected in Brussels.’
As terrified spectators waited in the stadium to hear news from outside, Belgian fans began chanting “All together, all together” to express their solidarity with the Swedish supporters.
Shortly before 12:00 local time, RMC Sport revealed that supporters were ‘gradually’ leaving the stadium, in line with protocol, more than two hours after the match was cancelled.
As the supporters were evacuated from the stadium, which was fully secured by Belgian law enforcement, the Swedish players were escorted straight to the airport.