What's the story?
Real Madrid were rocked by a suspicious package that was addressed to club president Florentino Perez yesterday. At around lunchtime, Perez received a package which alerted the club officials to report it to the police.
According to leading European publications, hours of checking the package found no serious threat.
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The Spanish media reported that the package was delivered to the stadium from Italy. This news came just days after Real Madrid's two-legged win over Napoli in the Champions League.
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The reigning European champions won the tie 6-2 on aggregate as they won both the ties 3-1 at the Bernabeu as well as the San Paolo stadium. Sergio Ramos was the saviour for his side in the second leg as the captain led from the front to take Real Madrid to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
The heart of the matter
Club members saw white powder leaking from the package which caused panic in the ground and led to the police investigation on the issue. After receiving the call at around 1700 CET, all the emergency protocols were followed immediately by the Madrid police.
Along with the police and the fire brigade, officials wearing special hazmat suits examined the package but revealed no serious threat after initial investigation. All the Bernabeu staff had to undergo disinfection procedure to ward off any potential threat, while the nearby shopping centre was also evacuated.
What's next?
The substance present in the package was collected with further tests set to be done in the coming days. Perez was not present to give his view on the security breach incident which might have been hazardous for the club.
Sportskeeda's Take
Though the police investigation reported that there was no danger from the package that was sent to the Bernabeu stadium addressed to president Florentino Perez, this episode raises questions on security.
Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in the world and if a possible prank or even a serious threat can hold the club to ransom for an entire day, any footballing institution is not safe from such threats.
