The security plan for Saturday's Clasico at the Bernabeu
The anti-violence commission will meet on Thursday at 18.30h to study the security options for Real Madrid-Barcelona, which kicks off on Saturday at 18.30 in the Spanish capital. Last week’s attacks in Paris, which included one near the Stade de France, where the French national team where playing Germany, mean maximum precautions will be taken for the Clasico.
Even though the risk of islamic terrorism in Spain is less than in its neighbouring country, it can’t even be ruled out that in Thursday’s meeting a decision is taken to suspend the game. However, the main focus will be sorting out the security for a game which falls into the high risk category.
Because of the exceptional circumstances, Franciso Martinez, the Secretary of Security, will even be at the meeting - as will the Secretary for Sport Miguel Cardenal, as is usual. Among those two and many others it will be determined the procedures to follow at the Santiago Bernabeu to protect the fans and players from any potential attacks.
Pending official confirmation, it’s already emerged that exceptional measures will be taken, as is the case under the Law 19/2007 for high risk matches. The last game to fall into this category was the Champions League semi-final between Real Madrid and Juventus last May. That encounter drew 1,635 security personnel, with them drawn from the different police departments and private companies. The visit of Barça on Saturday could see that figure doubled, with as many as 3,000 security personnel anticipated.
Checks will begin on Thursday, ahead of the meeting, with the bomb specialists from the Special Police patrolling the outskirts of the ground in Chamartin with dogs which are specialised in detecting explosives.
On the day of the match, three lines of security will thoroughly frisk each person going to the game. As explained on Monday, by Concepcion Danacausa, a government delegate in Madrid: “Even the sandwiches will be checked.” It should be pointed out that Benfica fans took flares into the Vicente Calderon in September in sandwiches.
These three lines of security will be exhaustive and mean that the gates to the stadium will have to open two hours before the game. In addition, metal detectors will be places at every entrance. Among these added measures, there will also be the usual measures for a game of this size — the separation of fans, recording the entire ground and surroundings to monitor the behaviour of spectators etc.
This is not the first time the Santiago Bernabeu is immersed by a terrorist threat. One of the precedents occurred on May 2002, just before a Clasico, when a car bomb exploded three hours before the game. ETA had warned that they had placed a bomb in a white Renault. The attack injured 10 people, but the game went ahead.
And in December 2004, Real Madrid-Real Sociedad had to be suspended six minutes before the end of the game because of a bomb threat in the stadium. That was on December 13 and the police were able to evacuate the 70,000 supporters in just eight minutes, many of whom left the ground via the pitch. In the end, the threat proved a hoax and there was no explosion.
