It was 9:20 p.m. in Paris on Friday when fans and television viewers heard two explosions in the area of Stade de France. Initially thought to be fireworks, the reality was far more serious: two suicide bombers had detonated devices outside the stadium during France’s friendly match with Germany. A third followed some time later, with the President of the Republic, Francois Hollande, ushered away from the game by security forces.
 

The Stade de France was only one of six locations targeted by these attacks, later claimed to have been carried out by the so-called ‘Islamic State’. The 10th and 11th arrondissements of Paris were particularly badly affected. Altogether, these dramatic events have cost 129 lives and have left 352 wounded, including around 100 seriously. Two of the French players were directly touched by the attacks. While Lassana Diarra tragically lost a cousin, Antoine Griezmann’s sister survived the most deadly assault, on the Bataclan Theater during a rock concert. Around 90 people died there. 
 
The football world was quick to react. Italy boss Antonio Conte and defender Leonardo Bonucci voiced their safety fears ahead of Euro 2016, along with Ukraine coach Mykhaylo Fomenko. The uncomfortable feeling is easy to understand, and it is up to the authorities to reassure the competition’s principle actors in the weeks to follow. The suicide bombers had planned to enter Stade de France to cause carnage among 70,000 fans, and this has deeply troubled the sporting world.
 
Several Paris Saint-Germain players have also spoken out. But while Thiago Motta offered words of strength, Edinson Cavani has been troubled by the idea of returning to France. Salvatore Sirigu, meanwhile, lost two friends who ran a restaurant that he and the PSG squad frequently visited.

UEFA issued a statement on Monday confirming that the finals would go ahead as planned： “Following the dramatic events that occurred last Friday in Paris, UEFA and EURO 2016 SAS wish to reaffirm their commitment in placing safety and security at the centre of their organizational plans.

"While there is no reason to believe that the EURO might become the target of any attack, the potential terrorist threat has always been taken into account, since the beginning of the project. EURO 2016 SAS and all stakeholders involved in the organization of the tournament will continue their joint work and will regularly monitor the level of risk for the tournament and their respective organizational plans."

Doubts are understandable in the aftermath of such an atrocity, but those in charge of French and European football will be more clinical in their analysis. For the Euro 2016 organisation committee, there is no question of canceling the competition.
 
“This solution has never been considered because that’s the objective of Islamic State,” a member of the committee explained to Goal.
 
“The committee has built the risk of a terrorist attack and other such security-related issues into their plans.”
 
Every other Monday, the Euro 2016 organizing committee takes part in a steering group with the Interministerial Delegation, an arm of the French government, dedicated to the security of major sporting events. It is currently refusing to consider any influence on its conduct by players, coaches or supporters.
 
This is certainly a matter of concern. If the organizing committee refuses to recognize the gravity of the situation today, the question of security at such an event remains. And it will resurface.
 
Carol Gomez, a researcher at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) – an organization in charge of issues related to the impact of sport on international relations - insists that security was the focus from the beginning.
 
“The issue of security has been crucial in the preparations for the European Championship,” she told Goal. 

“It was one of the priorities from the outset, and its importance has only been strengthened in view of the geopolitical situation and the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January (where a total of 17 people were killed in France during and after an armed terrorist assault on the offices of a French satirical newspaper in Paris).
 
“Simulation exercises are held regularly, predicting all possible scenarios. All the government services that are linked with the organization of the competition (Ministry of Sports, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) have worked together. The question is most delicate when it comes to terrorism. Zero risk does not exist. Every precaution is being taken to face any eventuality.”

If the Paris attacks have created a large echo in the media and had a huge impact on the population of the world as a whole, it is still too early to measure the full consequences. Gomez drew a parallel with Russia and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
 
“Attacks multiplied in Russia ahead of the Olympics in Sochi without those games being questioned,” she noted. “If you take a step back, it is clear that any major sporting, cultural or political event is a prime target – it’s not specific to sport.”
 
Islamic State justified its decision to attack the Stade de France on Friday as the fixture pitted two “crusader” nations together, and Gomez explained why it was a particularly attractive target.
 
“There are several elements to highlight,” she said. “Sport is perceived as a cohesive tool, a symbol of national identity, which allows a country to unite and it can draw a city together. The stadiums and their infrastructure are therefore a favorite target because of the high concentration of people in these places, and of course the media coverage.”
 
Thierry Braillard, the Secretary of State for Sport, gave his assurances on Sunday on Stade 2 that security remains the key issue in stadiums, training facilities and fan zones, but there will be an influx of hundreds of thousands of fans during June and July. As with every event, security is paramount and could be adapted and/or reinforced by the authorities.