When it rains, it pours. And French president Francois Hollande could well be reaching for the umbrella as his government tackles floods, continuous strikes and now terrorist threats at the start of one of the most important sports tournaments of the year.
Speaking to French radio France Inter on Sunday, Hollande said that threats against the 2016 European Championship soccer tournament did indeed "exist" and that "we need to take all the necessary precautions for this Euro 2016 to be a success."
Seven months after terrorist attacks that left 130 people dead in Paris - 90,000 security personnel have been deployed for Euro 2016, where 24 countries will compete to be crowned the best in Europe. The tournament, played across France, opens Friday at the Stade de France - the site of the first of the November 13 attacks where three suicide bombers detonated their vests as people entered the stadium.
Hollande said there would be specially designed "fan zones" where fans could watch the matches on giant screens, but that fans and spectators alike would have to be patient with the security measures in place when entering and leaving such areas, as well as the stadiums.
Meanwhile, police in Ukraine claimed to have foiled a terrorist attack designed to target Euro 2016, after a Frenchman was arrested on the Ukrainian-Polish border in late May with weapons and plans to attack 15 different locations, including bridges and railway stations, according to the Associated Press.