Militant terrorist group Islamic State has issued a threat against some of Europe’s largest football clubs, expressing intentions to carry out attacks on their stadiums. The announcement was made through the Al Azaim Foundation, responsible for disseminating the group’s messages.
It featured an ISIS militant holding what appears to be an AK47 rifle with the Emirates Stadium, Bernabeu, Parc des Princes, and Estadio Civitas Metropolitano in the background, along with the words “Kill them all.” These are the same stadiums set to host opening-leg fixtures in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The upcoming matches between Real Madrid and Manchester City, as well as Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, have been identified as high-risk by the Anti-Violence Commission. Over 3,000 security personnel will be deployed for these matches in response to the threat.
This comes in the wake of an assault in the Russian capital perpetrated by four assailants, resulting in numerous injuries. In a separate context, ISIS had previously issued a similar warning against attendees of a Bundesliga fixture between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, which did not result in an attack.
Despite the upcoming matches attracting a significant number of supporters, some may reconsider their travel plans in the face of this latest threat.
