Euro 2016 could see lockout due to terror threat, Uefa official admits

Matches at Euro 2016 could be played behind closed doors, according to the Uefa executive committee vice-president Giancarlo Abete.

Uefa released a statement, following the horrific events in Brussels, which “reaffirmed its commitment in placing safety and security at the centre of its organisational plans for Euro 2016”, but Abete, a former president of the FIGC (Italian Football Association), said more drastic measures could be called for.

“Euro 2016 is the kind of event we can’t delay or postpone,” he told Radio 24. “We can’t exclude the possibility of playing behind closed doors as we cannot exclude terrorism. If we talked about potentially cancellable games such as a friendly or a competitive match that could be moved to another date, obviously this would not be the case. But we are talking about games which are staged for June, whereas today we are going through about a very urgent emergency.”

The French interior minister, however, has insisted that all possible measures will be put in place to guarantee security at Euro 2016, saying random bombings in Brussels are a reminder that levels will be “very high” during the summer championship in France.

Bernard Cazeneuve, speaking after three bombs were detonated in the Belgian capital on Tuesday, said specially trained emergency staff, police and firefighters will be mobilised before the tournament to ensure “collective security”. France has been in a state of emergency since the November terror attacks in Paris.

Called from newsnow.co.uk