Football
ESPN staff 8y

Euro 2016 will not be cancelled after Paris terrorist attacks - organiser

Euro 2016 organiser Jacques Lambert has said that the tournament will not be cancelled, as that would be giving in to the terrorists who attacked Paris on Friday night.

In total, at least 129 people were killed in six attacks in the French capital. Two explosions went off outside Stade de France during the national team's match against Germany, killing three people, while it was reported that one gunman tried to gain access to the match.

The Stade de France will host Euro 2016's opening game on June 10 and the final one month later, but Lambert stood firm when asked if the tournament should still go ahead next summer.

"Wondering whether Euro 2016 must be cancelled is playing the game of the terrorists," he told French radio station RTL. "The risk went up one level in January, it has just gone higher.

"We will take the necessary decisions for Euro 2016 to take place in the best safety conditions.

"Security in stadiums works well, the risk is more in the streets, in spontaneous gatherings."

Paris has suffered two terrorist attacks in the past year. In early January, gunmen murdered 18 people after attacking satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, a Jewish supermarket and a policewoman on patrol.

"There was already a concern for the Euros, now it's obviously a lot higher," French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet said at the weekend.

"We will continue to do everything we can so that security is assured despite all the risks that this entails. I know that everyone is vigilant.

"Obviously this means that we will now be even more vigilant. But it's a permanent concern for the Federation and the State."

The French government has ultimate responsibility for overseeing security for Euro 2016, but an agreement was signed in September between the FFF and the Interior Ministry to split up duties.

Stadiums, training camps and team hotels are the responsibility of the tournament organisers, while the State is responsible for assuring security surrounding these locations. Then there are also fan zones, where fans without tickets to the games congregate in a central locations to watch matches on giant screens.

Private security firms are responsible for safety inside the stadiums, with police in charge outside -- although law enforcement also have the authority to enter venues if needed.

Details about more precise security measures, pertaining to bag and body searches for example, will not be revealed until later.

The FFF holds regular security committee meetings with Euro 2016 organisers, with another scheduled for Monday.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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