Spanish police will tighten a massive security cordon of 1,200 police around the Real Madrid-Barcelona Clasico football match on Saturday because of the Paris terror attacks.
Across Europe’s major leagues security forces will be keeping a close watch on top games where the 129 victims of the French attacks on November 13 will again be commemorated.
The police force at the La Liga clash in the Spanish capital is six times higher than the usual deployment for a game that is classified as a high security risk.
A minute’s silence will be held before all La Liga matches. Real Madrid fans have called off their usual fan display of banners out of respect to the victims.
Madrid saw its own terror carnage in December 2004 when 191 people were killed in bomb attacks. Two years before that the Basque separatist group ETA planted a car bomb near the Madrid stadium ahead of a Champions League semi-final between Madrid and Barcelona causing 17 injuries. The game still went ahead.
French authorities have banned away fans from Ligue 1 matches which will resume this weekend.
Extra police will be on duty and there will be a “very strict strengthening of searches and pat-downs at the entry to stadiums,” said French Professional Football League president Frederic Thiriez.
English Premier League clubs are also on a “heightened sense of awareness” because of the Paris massacre.
The French anthem, “La Marseillaise”, will be sung before all top division games as a tribute to the Paris victims.
“The clubs have been fully briefed in context of the current guidance from national security services and are liaising with their local police forces to ensure the appropriate security and safety measures are in place,” said Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore.
French international Morgan Schneiderlin and German counterpart Bastian Schweinsteiger who were playing at the Stade de France last week when it was attacked are not certain to play for Manchester United against Watford on Saturday.
But French internationals Paul Pogba and Patrice Evra and Germany midfielder Sami Khedira are expected to turn out for Juventus in their Italian clash with AC Milan on Saturday.
“It hasn’t been easy for them. They went through a difficult experience,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri. “But they seem to be quite calm. Returning to Turin has been good for them.”
Turin’s police chief Salvatore Longo said “there will be more controls with the help of sniffer dogs, the bomb squad and undercover agents” at the game.
Bologna and AS Roma players may carry the French flag out at the start of their match.
German Football Federation leaders have appealed for fans not to go to games with traditional flares and fireworks to avoid causing panic in stadiums. German champions Bayern Munich are among clubs to have ordered stricter security for home games.
Russia’s Internal Affairs Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev said the government has taken all necessary security measures for stadiums, concert halls and other public venues with the FSB national security service.
“We’re in full readiness for any complications of the situation,” he said in a statement. We have experience of quick reaction to any challenge or threat.”
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