Attack in Brussels
European Championship qualifying game between Belgium and Sweden canceled
October 16, 2023, 10:17 p.m
An assassin kills two Swedes in Brussels. They are probably in town for the soccer game against Belgium. At halftime, the players find out about the crime and decide not to continue the game.
After the fatal shots in the Belgian capital Brussels, the European Championship qualifier between Belgium and Sweden was canceled. As Belgian media report, the Swedish players no longer wanted to play in the second half. The Belgian team agreed.
An hour and a half before kick-off, a man shot around in the city and, according to current information, killed two people. The two victims are Swedes – presumably football fans. The shooter is on the run.
After the game was abandoned, the Swedish supporters were asked to stay in the stadium for safety reasons. The Swedish Football Association called on fans via news service X to follow the authorities’ instructions. The team’s security chief, Martin Fredman, is quoted in Swedish media as saying that the Belgian authorities do not want Swedes to go into the city. It is currently safe in the arena.
Around 20 minutes after the game was supposed to have kicked off for the second half, the game was canceled over the stadium loudspeakers. In the stands you could see numerous Swedish fans talking on the phone or talking with sad faces. According to SVT, the team and supporters had to stay in the stadium for security reasons because the alleged perpetrator had not yet been caught.
The president of the Swedish Football Association, Fredrik Reinfeldt, called the fatal shooting of two Swedes in Brussels on Monday evening an attack on football. He told Swedish television station SVT: “It is with a heavy heart that we note that the football we love has been hit by a serious attack in Brussels.” Reinfeldt, who was prime minister of Sweden from 2006 to 2014, said the perception of terrorist threats in his home country had increased.
At the time of the final whistle the score was 1-1. Viktor Gyökeres gave Sweden the lead in the 17th minute. Romelu Lukaku equalized after 31 minutes.