MONTREAL – Canada's women's national team coach Bev Priestman says news of a foiled plot to attack soccer games at the Paris Olympics is “concerning.”

French authorities filed preliminary terrorism charges Friday against an 18-year-old man accused of plotting against spectators attending this summer's Olympic soccer matches. The interior minister said it was the first foiled plot against the Games, which begin in eight weeks while France is at its highest alert level.

“It's worrying to hear that,” Priestman said Friday at Stade Saputo, where the Canadians will face Mexico in a pre-Olympic friendly on Saturday. “I guess we need to be sure that the processes and systems in place are there to protect every athlete at the Games. »

According to initial investigations, the man was preparing an attack against the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne which will host several matches, including two in which the Canadian team will participate.

Canada, which won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, will open the tournament at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium on July 25 before facing host France at the same venue on July 28.

“It's worrying to hear, but I think much like in Tokyo, the Olympic Committee, I imagine they will step in and I think our faith and our trust will be to make this a safe environment for our players,” Priestman said.

The man is accused of having planned a “violent action” in the name of the jihadist ideology of the Islamic State group, the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said in a press release on Friday. The man, who has not been identified, is being held in police custody pending further investigation.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in a statement that members of the General Directorate of Internal Security had arrested an 18-year-old Chechen on May 22 suspected of being behind a plot to attack football events in Saint-Etienne.

The planned attack targeted spectators and police forces, according to the statement. The suspect wanted to tackle the Olympic events “to die and become a martyr,” according to the press release.

France is on high security alert ahead of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are expected to attract millions of visitors and will be held from July 26 to August 26. 11. Football matches will take place in cities across France before the final at the Stade de France in Paris.

— With files from The Associated Press in Paris.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2024.

The Canadian Press