Terrorist threats against the world’s most popular sport have a history

Although it may seem counterintuitive for al-Qaeda and the Islamic State to target the world’s most popular sport, there is a clear pattern of threats and attacks carried out on viewing parties and events since the 1990’s.

European soccer has a long history of political involvement.  Some clubs are identified with far-left and far-right ideologies, while supporter groups have clashed over doctrinal differences.  The recent migrant crisis has given the opportunity for fans to express their views in the stands.

Soccer is immensely popular in the Arab and Muslim world; there is no prohibition in Islam against it, wealthy Gulf sheikhs own top European clubs, and a large number of stars playing for them are Arab and/or Muslim as well.  Of course, this matters little to the ideologues of AQ and IS.

Threats to the World Cup and national squad matches have been well documented. The 1998 World Cup, held in and won by France, was targeted by al-Qaeda.  At the time, the Algerian jihadist organizations Armed Islamic Group (GIA) and the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC, which later evolved into al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghrib) were engaged in a brutal insurgency against the Algerian government.

By the late 1990’s, al-Qaeda had active cells and sympathizers in France, which contains a large Algerian immigrant population.  A plot to strike the England-Tunisia game during the group stage was uncovered two months before it was to take place. French authorities arrested over a dozen GIA operatives, who planned to kill the English players on the pitch while another cell sought to murder the American soccer team players in their hotel.  Not surprisingly considering recent events, the GIA cell was apprehended in Brussels.

Instead of a horrific terrorist attack broadcast live to the whole world, the 1998 World Cup is best remembered for transforming Zinedine Zidane into a unifying symbol for France.  Born and raised in a rough section of Marseille to immigrant Algerian parents, he is by far the most famous of Muslim soccer players.  His upbringing, similar to that of the French jihadists, was also marked by discrimination and bigotry.  Yet he chose to represent France, lifted the World Cup trophy, and achieved global stardom.

Periodic al-Qaeda threats followed subsequent World Cups and symbolic matches, such as the France-Algeria friendly played at the Stade de France in Paris in 2001.  A highly emotional game due to the colonial history between the two countries, it was also targeted by a GIA cell affiliated with al-Qaeda.  Police arrested 4 jihadists the night before the game, seizing explosives and once again stopping a mass murder at a soccer event.

Taking a page from its forefathers, the Islamic State has also targeted soccer matches, as was seen during the Paris attacks.  In a cruel twist of irony, two of the eleven starters for the French team at the match vs. Germany that was targeted by suicide bombers at the Stade de France are Muslim.  One of them, Lassana Diarra, was personally affected as his cousin Asta Diakite was murdered by the jihadists in Paris.

The plot at the stadium was foiled by an alert security guard who turned away a potential suicide bomber.  The subsequent explosions outside the stadium were clearly heard inside, but the game continued.  Yesterday, the Germany-Netherlands match was called off after police in Hannover received what they believed to be credible reports of explosives packed inside an ambulance outside of the stadium.   A couple of days before, the Belgium-Spain match in Brussels was called off as well.

The recent scandals at soccer’s world governing body FIFA have not affected the popularity or revenue streams in the least.  With qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup in Russia underway, security will remain a top concern.  Increased threats will no doubt appear at next year’s European Championships, where 24 national teams, including the Russian, Belgian, Turkish, and German squads will participate and are set to take place in…France.