French police will be extra vigilant in Lille for the friendly between France and Scotland on Tuesday night following the fatal terror attack across the border in Belgium
The Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille will host France vs Scotland
The French government has decided to increase the police presence in Lille for France’s friendly against Scotland on Tuesday night.
Les Bleus are taking on Steve Clarke’s side at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, which is less than 60 miles (96km) from Brussels. The Belgium capital was the scene of a terror attack on Monday, with a gunman shooting dead two Swedish football fans.
Belgium’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden was abandoned at half-time with the gunman still at large. A 45-year-old suspected Tunisian extremist, named by Belgian media as Abdesalem L, was later shot dead by police at a café in Brussels.
The attack has sent shockwaves over the border into France and the French minister for interior affairs Gerald Darmanin has moved to reassure fans going to the Scotland fixture. He tweeted: “Following the attack in Brussels, I immediately requested a reinforcement of troops at the border. Furthermore, we will double the number of police and gendarmerie mobilised for the match #FRASCO this evening in Lille.”
France’s anti-terrorism unit known as RAID has been mobilised, while there will be six mobile units instead of the usual three in Lille for the 8pm kick-off. France and Scotland are playing during the international break having both qualified for Euro 2024.
Scotland qualified with two matches to spare on Sunday night after Spain beat Norway. The achievement saw Clarke come good on his promise to the team. “The players made sure I didn’t break a promise,” the Scotland manager said. “After the draw I had to have a board meeting. I told them that this group would qualify directly for Euro 2024. No playoffs, I said they would go straight there. So I made it.
Brussels has been rocked by a terror attack (
Image:
Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“I had confidence, belief. I know what we’ve got. I know we’ve got a good team. The draw had been made and I was 100 percent confident. I think we’ve qualified like a good team. So let’s embrace that.”
Asked about the celebrations ahead of the France game, Clarke added: “You have to learn to enjoy the moment, obviously within limits because we are playing one of the best teams – if not the best team – in the world tomorrow night and although it is a friendly it is still an important game. But you have to enjoy the moment. And I think they enjoyed it.
“Everyone was there watching the game, which was good. And when they had their wee celebratory couple of hours, everyone was there as well, which is fantastic. And I mean everyone. Even the old guys. I was in my bed at ten past one. I was the first away. There was a curfew. And they stuck to the curfew, they made the curfew. The boys are good.”
