Soccer Football - Champions League - Quarter Final - First Leg - Real Madrid v Manchester City - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - April 9, 2024 Police is seen outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
PARIS/MADRID (Reuters) - France and Spain will step up security ahead of the Champions League quarter-finals in Madrid and Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, top officials said, as Islamic State threats cast a shadow over Europe's top club soccer tournament.
British police said they were aware of reports of threats and had a robust policing plan in place ahead of Arsenal's match against Bayern Munich in London on Tuesday night.
The threats against some of the world's most-watched soccer matches underline the resurgence of Islamic State after several deadly attacks this year, including in Iran and Moscow. They also point to the complex geopolitical backdrop to the world's biggest single sporting event, the Olympic Games, set to take place in Paris in July and August.
At a press event to discuss Olympic security on Tuesday, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters that police had "considerably strengthened security" for Wednesday's fixture between Paris St Germain (PSG) and Barcelona in Paris.
"We have seen, among other things, a communication from the Islamic State that particularly targets stadiums. It is not new," he added.
Islamic State published a post urging followers to recreate a November 2015 attack on the Stade de France stadium, according to Site Intelligence group, which tracks Islamic militant communications.
"Recreate the glory of the Paris 2015 raid and subdue the Crusaders in masses," said the post, which included an image of PSG's Parc des Princes stadium.
Real Madrid play Manchester City in the Spanish capital on Tuesday night as Arsenal take on Bayern Munich in London. Atletico Madrid then host Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night at the same time as PSG play Barcelona.
"Of course, it's worrying ... Who in this room isn't worried?" PSG coach Luis Enrique told reporters. "It's something I hope can be controlled, and that they're just threats and that nothing disastrous happens."
EUROPE ON EDGE
London police's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said in a statement: "We're aware of online and media reports in relation to calls to target matches across Europe and here in London."
"However, I want to reassure the public that we have a robust policing plan in place for tonight's match and we continue to work closely alongside the club's security team to ensure that the match passes peacefully."
Spanish police forces will deploy more than 2,000 officers to boost security in the capital for the two games there, government spokesperson Pilar Alegria told reporters on Tuesday.
After being largely crushed by a U.S.-led coalition, Islamic State has been operating in the shadows in recent years, slowly rebuilding its capabilities via underground sleeper cells.
Its Afghan branch, known as ISIS-K, has been particularly active in recent months. The group claimed responsibility for a mass-fatality attack at a concert near Moscow last month, and also carried out twin bombings in Iran that killed nearly 100 people earlier this year, according to U.S.-intercepted communications.
(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Vincent Daheron, Emma Pinedo and Sarah Young; writing by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
