Tragedy Strikes in Brussels: Two Swedish People Killed and 400 Fans Evacuated
On Monday night, tragedy struck in Brussels as two Swedish people were shot dead. In response, about 400 Sweden fans were evacuated from the King Baudouin Stadium and spent the night in hotels under police protection. The Sweden players have since flown home and will now return to their clubs.
On Tuesday morning, police in Brussels shot the attacker dead. Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called the killings “a harrowing act of terrorism”. The Swedish Football Association (SvFF) received news of the killings just before the match, but it started as planned because Belgian authorities and police considered the stadium – 5km (three miles) from the location of the shooting – “the safest place”.
Players and officials were told at half-time, with the score 1-1. Sweden captain and Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof said security put the team “at ease”. “They explained that this is the safest place to be in Brussels,” he said. Lindelof said he saw “no reason” to replay the game as Belgium have qualified for Euro 2024 and Sweden can no longer qualify.
It has not been confirmed whether the victims were in Brussels to watch the match, although SvFF chairman Fredrik Reinfeldt said: “What happened is a disgusting attack on innocent people who were going to a football match. We all feel enormous anger and sadness.” The prosecutor on the case said the likely motive was the nationality of the victims.
England face Italy at Wembley in a Euro 2024 qualifier at 19:45 on Tuesday. The Metropolitan Police said: “Given the events yesterday in Brussels, those attending the match can be reassured that they will see a highly visible policing presence. Officers are there to ensure the event passes off safely and provide reassurance to those attending.”
Conclusion
The tragedy in Brussels has left many people feeling shocked and saddened. Our thoughts go out to those affected by this horrific act of violence. We hope that the England vs Italy match at Wembley will pass off safely and that fans can enjoy a peaceful evening of football.