In a disappointing development for the football fans in Europe, the UEFA have said that they might hold some of the matches of the upcoming Euro 2016 behind closed doors due to security concerns.

The safety issues first propped up during the Paris attacks that affected many areas of the city, one of them also posing a threat to the international match going on at that time at the Stade de France.

“If there is a security issue, we would need to play the match without fans,” said Euro 2016 director Martin Kallen to the BBC.

Kallen also stated that due to these security measures, some of the matches could also be postponed, or moved to an entirely new venue.

“It’s possible that matches would be postponed or played later,” said Kallen. “But today there are no signs of any extreme threats or alarming issues.”

Security in football has been a pertinent issue ever since the Paris attacks, when one of the perpetrators tried to make his way into the Stade de France, where an international friendly between France and Germany was going on. After being denied entry into the stadium, the suicide bomber decided to explode his device outside the stadium. The blast from the explosive could be heard even in the telecast of the match.

The organisation on high alert

This incident had left many of the players from both the sides traumatised. In fact, as both the teams were rushed to the dressing room after the full-time whistle, there seemed to have been mass panic, as a number of fans made their way onto the pitch, not being able to exit the stadium.

While a route was immediately made for the French players to go back to the safety of their hotels, the Germans were told that they would have to wait in the dressing room, as there was a threat on the hotel they were staying in. However, in an inspiring show of solidarity, the French players also decided to stay back at the dressing room overnight, showing their support for their German counterparts.

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