00:00Euro 2024 kicks off in Munich on Friday when the host country Germany takes on Scotland.
00:07Security has been beefed up across the country ahead of the tournament that runs till the 14th of July.
00:13Our correspondent Natalie Carney reports.
00:16Germany is on high alert.
00:19With an estimated 2.7 million football fans expected in stadiums
00:24and a further 12 million at public viewing events across 10 German cities,
00:28the country has been investing tremendous time and money into security measures.
00:33Around 2,000 police officers are ready for the championship kick-off
00:37at Munich's Allianz Arena and throughout the city.
00:41For weeks, exercises, training sessions and even simulated terrorist attacks
00:45have been taking place across the country.
00:49We must be prepared for warlike or other political conflicts
00:53because something like this can quickly spill over into sport.
00:57We as the police are trying to prepare ourselves as best we can
01:00and we are preparing for the 1%.
01:03About 350 foreign police forces will also be deployed to Germany,
01:07largely from neighboring France, which is beefing up security ahead of the Olympic Games this summer.
01:13While the airspace above football stadiums will be closed,
01:16police have special jammers to force land any restricted drones.
01:21Temporary land, rail and air border controls have also been stepped up
01:25and will remain in place until July 19.
01:28While German authorities say that there are no concrete threats against any of the stadiums,
01:33the country is prepared for all contingencies.
01:37Security concerns were heightened all across Germany following the recent arrest
01:41of a suspected Islamic State supporter in the German city of Cologne
01:45who had reportedly applied unsuccessfully to work at Euro 2024 events.
01:51And a teenager was also recently detained by police in neighboring France,
01:55charged for planning to carry out an Islamic-inspired attack
01:59on the football events at the Olympic Games.
02:02And in April, a media outlet said to be supportive of the Islamic State terror group
02:07published images of stadiums hosting Championship League quarterfinal games.
02:13Germany's interior minister says terrorism is not the only threat.
02:18We are arming ourselves against all conceivable dangers
02:22with a high level of commitment from all security authorities.
02:26Our focus ranges from the threat of terrorism to hooligans
02:30and other violent criminals to cyber security.
02:34The police will have a strong presence wherever large numbers of people are on the move.
02:38This will be a major effort.
02:42Police in North Rhine-Westphalia, where four of the ten venues are located,
02:46have taken on a central security coordinating role for the European Championship.
02:55We can never guarantee 100% security.
02:58We can prepare ourselves as best we can, train people as best we can,
03:02send many people there, prepare technology as fast as we can.
03:06We can try to do everything we can.
03:09Everything will be done.
03:11Germany is pulling out all the stops to ensure safety and enjoyment
03:15for all of the beautiful game.
03:17Natalie Carney, CGTN, Munich.
