Opinion | The French security strategy has failed fans at Euro 2016 – fingers crossed that a real threat doesn’t materialise
Police in France have failed miserably in dealing with relatively mild disturbances on the fringes of the football. Let’s hope they’re not forced to deal with anything more sinister
Much of the build-up to the start of Euro 2016 quite understandably focused on the major undertaking the French authorities had on their hands during the tournament.
For days beforehand, when fever pitch for the carnival should have been reaching full fervour the rather more sobering issues of security checks, police numbers, and alcohol-free zones dominated the headlines.
Not the build-up to a party fans would have hoped for, but wholly justifiable in light of the terrible events of November 13, especially since one of the attacks had specifically targeted a football stadium on match day.
Rarely has a match passed off so far without the spectacle of a flare in the crowd. Granted, this is not the most terrifying prospect when considered in isolation, but as they are prohibited by Uefa it rightly raises questions about the effectiveness of security checks at the stadiums. If it’s possible to smuggle in a flare, how difficult is it to carry in a knife?