The Terrorist Threat to the Champions League Final

What You Should Know and What You Should Do

PopLand Security

Published in

Homeland Security

4 min readMay 24, 2016

On Saturday, May 28 in Milan, Italy, the worlds biggest annual sporting event will take place. It is the culmination of a tournament pitting Europe’s top football clubs against each other.

And it is a target for terrorism.

This year the Champions League final will take place in Milan, Italy at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, more commonly known as the San Siro.

The San Siro is a grand footballing cathedral, and the home of two of Italy’s top football teams (AC Milan and Inter Milan). It is the largest stadium in Italy, and the 7th largest stadium in Europe.

Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid will compete in the final for the second time in three years. In 2015 it was estimated that 180 million people in more than 200 different countries watch the final. This year should be no different.

High profile events involving large gatherings of people are attractive targets for terrorism, and European police and security officials are on high alert. Major footballing events have already been targeted or cancelled based on security concerns during this footballing season.

Stade du Paris — November 13, 2015

On November 13, 2015, the Stade de France in Paris was targeted as part of coordinated terrorist attacks that left 130 dead in Paris. Three suicide bombers with explosive vests tried to enter the stadium where France and Germany were playing a football match. When they were unsuccessful they detonated their explosives outside of the stadium.

HDI Arena, Hanover — November 17, 2015

On November 17, 2015 a football match between Germany and the Netherlands at the HDI Arena in Hanover was cancelled when a plan to detonate three bombs inside the stadium was identified.

Stade Roi Baudoin, Brussels — November 17, 2015

A match scheduled to take place on November 17, 2015 between Belgium and Spain was cancelled due to heightened terrorist threat.

Al-Shuhadaa Stadium, Iskandariya — March 25, 2016

At least 65 people were killed and more wounded when a suicide bomber detonated a vest at the end of a football game between local teams in the Babil province of Iraq.

Old Trafford, Manchester — May 15, 2016

Manchester United’s last home game of the season was postponed and fans were evacuated from Old Trafford when a suspicious device was found in the stadium. Although the device was later identified as a very realistic non-explosive bomb training device left behind after a recent explosives training exercise, the seriousness with which stadium and league officials take the threat of terrorism is evidenced by their swift decision to cancel the game.

So What Should You Do?

European law enforcement organizations, including the UK’s National Police Chiefs’ Counsel, have published guidance and recommendations for people who find themselves involved in a terror attack.

If you are traveling to the Champions League final, or the European Football Championships this summer, or the Summer Olympic games, or to any other major event overseas that may be a target for terrorism, knowing what to do could save your life.

For American travelers, the Department of State has a list of emergency numbers for countries around the world. Do you know the emergency number for the countries where you will be traveling?

The U.S. State Department also has a free app called Smart Traveler you can download to your smartphone. It provides travel alerts, maps, warnings, embassy locations, and other helpful information for international travelers.

Have a plan. Be safe. Have fun. And if you have a ticket to the Champions League Final, don’t forget your passport when you head to the game! Foreign ticket holders without a valid passport will not be admitted to the game.