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
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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
Trump lauds Infantino for ‘record breaking’ World Cup
- Trump said: “You’ve done a fantastic job, a great leader in sports and a great gentleman”
- Trump claimed sales were selling at a pace never seen before
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump turned the spotlight onto FIFA president Gianni Infantino ahead of Friday’s 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, praising the football boss’ organization of the world’s biggest sporting event.
Infantino has been criticized in recent months by some observers who accuse him of drawing uncomfortably close to Trump, whose administration has taken a high-profile role in US preparations for what will be the biggest and most logistically-challenging World Cup ever.
The soccer boss attended Trump’s inauguration in January and has previously said the US leader deserved global recognition for his role in brokering a ceasefire in the Middle East.
FIFA plans to unveil its own peace prize during the draw ceremony with Trump the expected recipient. Spotting Infantino in the audience during a ceremony in Washington marking the signing of a peace treaty between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Trump congratulated him for what he described as record-breaking ticket demand for the first 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“Gianni, thank you very much,” Trump said. “You’ve done a fantastic job, a great leader in sports and a great gentleman.”
Teams will learn their group-stage fate later on Friday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in a draw for a tournament that stretches across three countries and 16 cities, from Vancouver to Mexico City.
Trump claimed sales were selling at a pace never seen before. “I can report to you that we have sold more tickets than any country anywhere in the world at this stage of the game,” he said, adding that demand had already “broken all records”. Over one million tickets have been purchased so far by fans from 212 countries, FIFA said last month.
After the presidential shout-out, Infantino did not speak publicly.
The FIFA president is overseeing his third men’s World Cup, after Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.
