An Islamist terrorist bomb plot was foiled in Paris on Saturday after an improvised explosive device was found near Parc des Princes, which is the home ground to French football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
The device was made up of four gas cylinders covered in petrol and was found near the stadium by a member of the public just hours before PSG were due to play against Bordeaux in front of nearly 50,000 fans.
The gas cylinders were linked to a mobile phone that could ignite and cause an explosion with the likes of £200m summer signing Neymar and Kylian Mbappe due to play.
Reports also state that five men have been arrested off which one is a known Islamist extremist.
French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb suggested that the man may have slipped the authorities by employing someone who looks like him, a common practice employed by those under the scanner. “When you watch someone, there is always a nebula, a friend ready to help the one who is on the file,” Collomb told France Inter radio station.
The Islamic State (ISIS) has aimed football stadiums earlier as well. In November 2015, three suicide bombers attacked the Stade de France stadium ahead of an international friendly between France and Germany. Two of the attackers blew themselves up, killing one, while the third ran away.
In the match, Neymar scored twice, including a first-half penalty, and created another goal as PSG hammered previously unbeaten Bordeaux 6-2.