Whitehall is on edge. A quiet alert has been circulating among the security services. The Metropolitan Police and MI5 have issued a confidential warning.
It concerns the aftermath of Paris Saint-Germain's victory in the Champions League. The source is a joint assessment from the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism. It flags a potential spike in football-related disorder in the UK.
The intelligence is clear: the Paris scenes are a template. Copycat behaviour is expected. The warning is not public.
It was shared with club security chiefs and local police forces. The Home Office is monitoring. The concern is not just about hooliganism.
It is about the politicisation of fan groups. Some far-right elements have been seen aligning with ultra groups. The PSG win has been celebrated in certain online forums.
They see it as a victory for 'European identity'. The language is dog-whistle. The security apparatus is nervous.
They remember the 2016 riots. They remember the Euros final disorder. This feels different.
More organised. More ideological. The warning mentions 'potential for street confrontations'.
It recommends pre-emptive banning orders. It urges clubs to review safety plans. The Premier League season is underway.
The risk is immediate. I have spoken to a former counter-terrorism official. He said: 'The Paris model is being studied.
We need to be ahead of it.' The official requested anonymity. The minister for policing is due to chair a COBRA meeting.
Likely this week. The agenda includes 'football-related public order'. The Labour benches are restless.
They want answers. The Home Secretary has been briefed. She is said to be 'taking a keen interest'.
The warning is precise. It is not alarmist. It is a fact of the security state.
The game is changing. The terraces are becoming battlefields again. We will see if the authorities can hold the line.
