Security will be increased at Champions League games this week after a media outlet supporting the Islamic State group published threats against venues.
A pro-IS media channel has published multiple posters calling for attacks at stadiums hosting quarter-final ties on Tuesday and Wednesday.
UEFA, in response, have said it was aware of the threats, but said games in Madrid, Paris, and London would go ahead as planned.
Ministers in both France and Spain inturn have confirmed enhanced security measures.
With French Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, saying that there would be “considerably reinforced” security measures in place when PSG play Barcelona in Paris tomorrow 10th April.
Darmanin further said, “I will remind you that only 10 days ago, IS shared a picture of the Munich stadium and said action should be taken against sports venues that host football games although all sports can be targeted. Given how important the Champions League is for football, we are of course talking to our partners.”
Two quarter-finals are due to be held in Madrid this week. Real Madrid host Manchester City later today, while rivals Atletico Madrid take on Borussia Dortmund tomorrow.
Spain’s sports minister, Pilar Alegría, has issued a message calling for calm ahead of the games in Madrid adding that “more than 2,000 police and civil guard officers” are being deployed for the safety of the fans and players in attendance.
A spokesman for European football’s governing body said “UEFA is aware of alleged terrorist threats made towards this week’s Uefa Champions League matches and is closely liaising with the authorities at the respective venues”
Further adding that “All matches are planned to go ahead as scheduled with appropriate security arrangements in place.”
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The pro-IS channel called for violent attacks and featured images of the Emirates Stadium in London, the Bernabeu Stadium and Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, as well as the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris.
Another image which was shared last week depicted the Allianz Arena in Munich, which is due to host Bayern Munich’s return leg against Arsenal next week.
Arsenal play the German side in London later this evening.
The threatening jihadist images shared this week some of which feature an image of a masked gunman were posted by pro-IS media groups which is however not officially linked to the organisation itself.
However, it is thought the directive to publish the threats may have come from IS itself, as its leadership recently hinted at close co-ordination between official media operatives and online supporters.
According to specialists at the BBC’s Monitoring service, Material seeking to incite attacks on channels with long-standing ties to the group have increased in the wake of last month’s Moscow concert hall attack.
