There is just under two months to the start of the European Championships, with thousands of British fans set to take over various cities across France.
However, plans for the finals could potentially be thrown into chaos following the terror attacks in Paris last November and, more recently, the devastating incidents in Brussels that combined left over 160 people dead.
Over the weekend, one of the key suspects in both incidents was charged with terrorism offences, and it is being reported today that Mohamed Abrini has told police this summer’s championships were a major target.
The 31-year-old, also known as ‘The Man in the Hat’, is understood to have been part of the Isis terrorist cell responsible for both attacks, and the news that the Euro Championship was seen as a legitimate target should be a major concern.
Mohamed Abrini admits he is the ‘man in the hat’ seen in CCTV at scene of deadly Brussels Airport bombing. #9News pic.twitter.com/Ez8SOiIzeN
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) April 9, 2016
The Liberation newspaper claims that police were not surprised to hear Abrini’s claims, and security across France for the month-long tournament has already been beefed up.
They claim the Brussels attack were in response to the arrest of Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam, and a huge campaign of terror was planned for this summer’s football tournament.
Over 2.5m people are expected to visit France for the tournament, which begins on June 10 and runs for one month.
