French police reportedly cordoned off a large area near the Parc des Princes on Wednesday afternoon following the discovery of a suspicious bag.

Traffic was stopped, the Olympic bus service halted and residents of the area were temporarily prevented from going to their houses ahead of a football schedule which included Israel’s opening match against Mali on Wednesday evening.

Police found the bag between the Parc des Princes and Roland Garros and quickly cleared the area shortly before Spain’s clash with Uzbekistan, according to Bild.

The situation was resolved in time for Spanish and Uzbek fans to make the kick-off at 3pm local time, although many of them were left stranded outside the Parc des Princes due to ticketing issues.

The stadium was littered with empty seats when the match got underway as organisers scrambled to get things in order. French authorities are tight-lipped on the precautions taken to ensure the Games remain free of danger and trouble.

But they have reportedly spent twice as much on athlete security as previous organisers at the Tokyo Olympics only three years ago.

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