Officials of the Spanish authorities are anxiously awaiting the upcoming weekend and promise to take unprecedented security measures in Madrid.
On Saturday evening, two Spanish football giants - "Real" and "Barcelona" - will face each other for the first time this season at the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium.
This is an event where there are no empty seats in the arena, and any mass gathering of people has recently become a headache for officials. How to prevent a potential attack? How to ensure the safety of spectators and football players to the maximum? How to avoid casualties?
An Islamist with an explosive belt, who tried to enter the "Stade de France" stadium in Paris and detonate it next to him, was thwarted in a brutal attack on the Hanover arena, leading to the cancellation of friendly matches between the national teams of Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Spain and Belgium, due to possible terrorist acts.
Does this mean that terrorism nowadays is posing a threat to football, which has become a symbol of unity due to its passion and fans' dedication?
The future "El Clasico" match in Madrid was identified as a "high-risk event" at a security briefing.
"It is no secret that matches between 'Barcelona' and 'Real' already come with extra risks, but now we are not talking about the risk of fan violence outbreak. Now we are talking about terrorism, which is much more dangerous," said the Spanish Minister of the Interior Francisco Martinez. "On the other hand, I believe we need to trust our security structures and their professionalism. Law enforcement officials will do everything to ensure the smooth running of the match."
For the Saturday match between the teams of "Real" and "Barcelona," security will be provided by 1000 police officers and 1400 private security service employees.
"There will be twice as many police officers as at a regular match. Fans will be able to enter the stadium three hours before the match. This is done to avoid crowds and control the flow of people more effectively," emphasized the Spanish Minister of Sports Miguel Cardenal.
Spanish law enforcement promises to surround the "Santiago Bernabeu" with three circles of protection, so each spectator of the "El Clasico" will have to go through at least as many checks before entering the arena.
Cardenal did not specify whether the Spanish police will take additional security measures to protect "Barcelona" fans, who will be in the minority in the arena, and to avoid possible clashes between the hardcore fans of both teams at the stadium entrances.
"The security level will be sufficient, and we are not focusing on conflicts between fans. We just need to ensure that there are no conflicts at all," added the minister.
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