PARIS: Security will be “considerably reinforced” at Wednesday’s Champions League match in the French capital between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona after a “threat” from Daesh group, the interior minister said.
Gerald Darmanin said the militant group had threatened all the quarter-final matches on Tuesday and Wednesday, not just PSG’s first leg clash with Barcelona at the Parc des Princes.
Darmanin said there had been “a clear threat publicly expressed by Daesh.”
“The police, whom I spoke to very early this morning, have considerably reinforced the security measures,” the minister told reporters.
A source close to the issue told AFP: “Daesh has threatened the Champions League quarter-finals, not specifically in France, through one of its communication outlets.”
In the matches on Tuesday, Arsenal take on Bayern Munich in London and Real Madrid host reigning European champions Manchester City.
In Wednesday’s other game, Atletico Madrid face Borussia Dortmund in the Spanish capital.
European football’s governing body UEFA said all the matches would go ahead despite the threat.
“UEFA is aware of alleged terrorist threats made toward this week’s UEFA Champions League matches and is closely liaising with the authorities at the respective venues,” the statement said.
“All matches are planned to go ahead as scheduled with appropriate security arrangements in place.”
PSG coach Luis Enrique said in his pre-match news conference: “Who is not worried or concerned by terrorist threats?
“I hope it is a thing we can control and that they are just threats and that nothing will happen.”
Security reinforced at PSG v Barcelona game after Daesh ‘threat’: French minister
https://arab.news/5x3pt
Security reinforced at PSG v Barcelona game after Daesh ‘threat’: French minister
- Gerald Darmanin said the militant group had threatened all the quarter-final matches on Tuesday and Wednesday
- Daesh has threatened the Champions League quarter-finals, not specifically in France, through one of its communication outlets
Guardiola delivers speech in support of Palestinian children
- Star Manchester City manager wore keffiyeh at charity concert in Barcelona
- They have been ‘abandoned’ because ‘those in power are cowards’
LONDON: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola delivered a speech in support of Palestinian children at a charity concert in Barcelona, calling for greater action to protect them.
The star manager, 55, wore a keffiyeh and spoke passionately about his pain at seeing the suffering of Palestinian children, Sky News reported.
“Good evening, salam alaikum, how wonderful,” he told the crowd. “When I see a child in these past two years with these images on social media, on television, recording himself pleading ‘where is my mother?’ among the rubble and he still doesn’t know it.
“And I always think, ‘What must they be thinking?’ And I think we’ve left them alone, abandoned.” He added: “I always imagine them saying, ‘Where are you? Come help us.’”
Guardiola said “even now, we haven’t done it,” because perhaps “those in power are cowards,” adding: “They basically send innocent young people to kill innocent people.”
He demanded a “step forward” as part of what he described as a “statement for Palestine and … a statement for humanity.”
