After terror fears, Euro 2016 declared security ‘success’

Soccer championship concludes without incident thanks to 100,000 security personnel, French interior minister says

By AFP 11 July 2016, 6:07 pm

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French riot police stand near the Arc de Triomphe after the Euro 2016 final football match between Portugal and France on the Champs Elysees in Paris, on July 10, 2016. (AFP PHOTO/GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT)

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Monday that despite a high terror threat, the country’s hosting of the Euro 2016 football tournament had been a success.

“Despite the very high threat, Euro 2016 was a success,” said Cazeneuve.

He praised the work of over 100,000 police officers, gendarmes, private security officers and soldiers who secured the event, adding that 1,550 people had been arrested during the tournament.

France had been on high alert throughout the tournament, after two major terror attacks in 2015 which left 147 people dead.

Cazeneuve said that overall in 2016, 150 people had been arrested in France for “terrorist activities.”

Portugal's Eder, left, celebrates after scoring the only goal during the Euro 2016 final soccer match between Portugal and France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, July 10, 2016. (AP /Martin Meissner) — Portugal’s Eder, left, celebrates after scoring the only goal during the Euro 2016 final soccer match between Portugal and France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, July 10, 2016. (AP /Martin Meissner)

But aside from hooligan violence at the start of the European championship and clashes between fans and police on the night of the semifinal and final in Paris, the tournament went off without a hitch.

“Today we can say that it is France who won. Maybe not in the area of sports, but our country won in its capacity to organize” the event, said Sports Minister Patrick Kanner.

“We were all haunted by fear of a terrorist attack. We were lucky that nothing serious happened and it is a great relief,” said Jacques Lambert, the head of the tournament’s organizing committee.

Cazeneuve said that of those arrested during the month-long event, 59 people were handed jail time or suspended sentences, 64 people were expelled from the country and 32 were refused entry.

However, despite the success of the tournament he warned that “the terrorist threat remains” in France.