France coach Didier Deschamps wants the European Championship, which starts Friday, to give the French people an "escape" from security fears, violent labor protests, train strikes and floods, according to AP. "A big competition, especially when a country has social problems, allows the French people a moment of escape," Deschamps said Wednesday. In what should normally be a time for excitement and anticipation, host France's Euro 2016 preparations have been overshadowed above all by security concerns, and there will be unease among fans flocking to the national stadium on Friday evening for the opener against Romania. On Nov. 13, suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the Stade de France during France's friendly against Germany, triggering off a wave of deadly attacks during which 130 people were killed. The country has been in a state of emergency ever since and there will be an unprecedented level of security at stadiums and in fan zones. "No one can forget what happened," Jacques Lambert, president of the Euro 2016 organizing committee, said Wednesday at a pre-tournament news conference. "Whatever the circumstances, we want to stay completely focused on our objective: to have the best Euro possible at every level and not to be sidetracked by external factors that we don't have total control over." Lambert adds that "it hasn't been easy" preparing Euro 2016, "but we have done everything that's humanly and professionally possible to deliver the most well organized Euro possible." France won as host in 1984 and again in 2000 â€" but key injuries, suspensions and the fallout from Karim Benzema's controversial omission have combined to give Deschamps one almighty headache.
