An attack that would have targeted the football trials at the Olympics, scheduled to be held in Saint-Etienne, in central France, was foiled by the French services (DGSI) on May 22nd. An 18-year-old Chechen citizen was arrested, Bfm TV reported from a source at the Interior Ministry. He had planned to commit an Islamist attack during one of the matches of the Olympic tournament.
According to the first elements of the investigation, the young Chechen wanted to attack the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, where several football matches are scheduled for Paris 2024. The attack was expected to target both spectators and members of the police force. The Chechen, who had already done some reconnaissance on the spot, was arrested in his house and has been officially under investigation in provisional detention since 26 August. BFM TV specifies that the accused denies everything, admitting only to having had some “conversations” on the subject through the encrypted messaging of some applications. At home, investigators found a photo of the stadium on a computer and some videos, again from the Saint-Etienne facility, on the Chechen's cell phone. The young man has a clean criminal record and arrived in France with his family in 2023. In a statement, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, “welcomed the information services” for their mobilization in the fight against terrorism: “This is the first foiled attack against the Olympic Games and the 50/0 foiled since 2017.” In the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, 6 next football matches are scheduled between 24 and 31 July.