A UEFA official said that matches at this year's European football championship in France "could be moved or played in empty stadiums if security services considered there was danger of an attack," according to Simon Carraud of REUTERS. Euro 2016 Tournament Dir Martin Kallen told Germany's Sport Bild magazine that organizers and French security services "had been working together to discuss options in case of a perceived threat." Security concerns "have mounted in the wake of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks" when Islamist militants killed 130 people in bars, restaurants and a concert hall in and around the capital. Kallen said that Euro 2016 games could be moved at short notice, bringing in the scenario of playing without any fans present "because the spectators who have tickets for the match in question wouldn't have enough time to organise travel and a hotel room." Kallen said, "Safety and staging the tournament takes priority over everything else." At a news conference in Paris, Euro 2016 Local Organizing Committee Head Jacques Lambert "sought to play down the likelihood of teams playing in empty stadiums." Lambert: "As of today that's not what we foresee" (REUTERS, 3/2).
SECURITY BUMP: The AP's Samuel Petrequin reported Euro 2016 organizers "increased the security budget" by 15% in the wake of the Paris attacks. Lambert said that the attacks forced organizers to "strengthen" safety measures, with the security budget up to €34M ($36.9M). About 10,000 people have been "privately hired for security, among them 900 agents mobilized for each of the 51 matches." Organizers are in charge of security within stadiums, "with French authorities dealing with it outside." Lambert: "Security is our essential preoccupation, but I don't lose sleep over it, we are handling it with cold blood." Security at team hotels "will also be heightened, while fans will endure two security checks entering stadiums." A first perimeter "will be set up away from the gates where spectators will have their tickets checked and be submitted to body searches." Lambert said that "fans will be thoroughly checked once at turnstiles" (AP, 3/2).
