The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has decided to cancel Euro 2024 qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden, which was interrupted after the shooting in Brussels. All the details of the terrorist attack that occurred in the capital of the European Union are in the material Sport.
What happened? On Tuesday evening in the center of Brussels, an unknown man in an orange signal vest shouting “Allahu Akbar” began shooting at people wearing T-shirts of the Swedish national football team. A video quickly spread across social networks in which a criminal on a moped approaches pedestrians and, abandoning the vehicle, begins to chase people with single shots (presumably from a Kalashnikov assault rifle).
The press wrote about several wounded and two dead Swedish citizens who flew to Belgium for the away match of their team as part of the qualification for Euro 2024.
Important statements after the tragedy:
- Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, like the crisis center, called on Brussels residents to be vigilant;
- The head of the European Council Charles Michel and Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen;
- French President Emmanuel Macron expressed sympathy for Belgium and Sweden, calling the attack «cowardly»;
- Brussels police did not connect the killings of fans with the military conflict between Israel and Palestine. Law enforcement officers began escorting fans from Sweden to the airport;
- The Muslim Council of Belgium condemned the terrorist attack, calling on the kingdom's authorities to «act with maximum firmness.»
Cancellation of a football match In parallel with the terrible events on a busy street in the city center at the Stadium. King Baudouin hosted a qualifying match for the 2024 European Championship between the national teams of Belgium and Sweden. The first half ended with the score 1:1 (the hosts responded to Victor Győkeres's goal with Romelu Lukaku's precise shot from the penalty spot), and the second 45 minutes never started. It turned out that during the break the Swedish national team players learned about the terrorist attack and were unable to continue. Captain Victor Lindelof took the initiative: he agreed to end the meeting with both his teammates and the Belgians.
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"We can’t play football in this state. We reached an agreement with Belgium. I found out about what happened during the break, when I was going downstairs — the decision of all the players and managers, of course, is that we cannot play this match. It's disgusting, I'm so sad (about what happened). This is extremely tragic and my thoughts go out to the victims and their families. What kind of world do we live in? What the hell world are we living in?» (Fotbollskanalen)
Janne AnderssonHead coach of the Swedish national football team
Later, UEFA promptly issued an official statement. After consultations with both teams and local law enforcement agencies, the decision was made to cancel the ill-fated match — apparently, it will not be possible to finish it in the coming days.
Who committed the terrorist attack? In addition to the video of the beginning of the attack, the video message of the criminal caused a stir. He claims that he belongs to the Islamic State group* (a terrorist organization banned in Russia), kills “infidels” and is himself ready to give his life for religion. As for his identity, there is no official confirming information yet. Foreign media point to a 45-year-old Tunisian who was allegedly known to the Belgian intelligence services for his radicalism. Searches have already been carried out at his house in the Brussels commune of Skarbek — the criminal himself remains at large at the moment, he is wanted.
The danger level in the capital has been raised to a maximum of four.
UPD. On Wednesday morning, Belgian authorities said the terrorist had been “neutralized.” He died.* * *It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Brussels has encountered incidents against the backdrop of Red Devils matches. So, in November last year, riots began in the capital of Belgium after the defeat of the national team at the World Cup by the Moroccan team (as it later turned out, the main opening of the tournament) and the looming threat of the departure of one of the favorites from the Qatari World Cup. During the pogroms, the crowd smashed shop windows, burned trash cans and overturned cars — the police had to use water cannons and tear gas.