The Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín Aguirre, said on Saturday that about one million people could take to the streets of the capital ifSpain beats Argentina in the World Cup final. The forecast includes a great celebration with the national team on Monday and a wide deployment of security both for the match and for the possible celebrations.
Martín has detailed, in an interview on Spanish Television, that the security device for the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will have more than 800 members of the State security forces and bodies. For the subsequent celebration of that same Sunday there will be more than 700 complementary troops, to which the Municipal Police and emergency services will be added.
In total, if the Spanish team wins, 1,450 troops will be mobilized between the National Police and the Civil Guard on Sunday and Monday. Of these, approximately 1,050 will belong to the National Police and more than 400 to the Civil Guard.
The delegate has asked «prudence to the citizens» and to follow «the indications given by the security forces and bodies» during the celebrations. He also stressed the importance that in the giant screens that will be installed in Colón, the City Council «installs filters, there is an adequate perimeter and evacuation routes are facilitated so that in any circumstance emergency professionals can act».
Martín has criticized the Madrid City Council by pointing out that there is still pending work that it has been demanding for more than 24 hours, although he has trusted that the security and emergency professionals «will correct the improvisation with which Mayor Almeida has worked in these last previous hours».
CRITICISM OF THE CITY COUNCIL
To these criticisms, which Martín also made on Friday, Almeida responded by accusing the delegate of questioning the professionalism of the emergency services. He also recalled that similar events have already been held in this place, such as the final of the European Championship, so the device is filmed and has already been deployed on other occasions.
The delegate explained that in this type of event «it is key that the surface is perimetered, there are capacity controls, there are filters so that hazardous materials are not introduced and evacuation routes are guaranteed for the emergency services to work».
He also stated that the municipal services themselves, including firefighters, Samur, mobility services and the Municipal Police, together with the National Police, «were concerned about the lack of definition of this event that the Madrid City Council has wanted to manage».
possible celebration on monday
Regarding the celebration scheduled for Monday afternoon, with the players’ tour by bus, Martín has anticipated a «multitudinous» event with «approximately one million people who can take to the streets again to celebrate something as important as that second star that we will put on the shirt».
The route will go «from the Moncloa interchange to culminate in the Plaza de Cibeles, where a major event is planned». The delegate has indicated that «it will last hours going from Moncloa along the boulevards until it reaches Cibeles».
For this celebration, Martín has recommended «hydration and sun protection always» due to the «surely long waits and the temperatures that will be high». He also advised «avoiding crowds», since «there will be enough distribution, enough travel so that people can be distributed».
In Cibeles, where «the party will be huge», he has asked «that the instructions of the security forces be heeded, that dangerous objects such as glass bottles are not introduced, that no type of material is thrown and that the use of any pyrotechnic material is avoided because it can generate real danger».
About the match, Francisco Martín has stated that he will watch it at home with his children, although he is on the phone. In addition, he predicted a «very clear 3-0 for Spain» and considered that the refereeing «this time is finally going to be balanced».
