EURO 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal a terrorist target, claims coach

New Delhi: The spectre of terrorism is seemingly taking a toll on the organisers of Euro 2016. Even as France continue to grapple with the many possible threats, Portuguese coach Fernando Santos has claimed that the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo has made his team a potential terrorist target.

"As everybody knows, Portugal is considered one of the high-risk teams due to the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. But we are prepared for this," Santos told reporters at Wembley after his side`s 1-0 friendly loss to England on Thursday night.

Ronaldo, a three-time Ballon d`Or winner is one of the most famous sports superstars in the world. Last week, he helped Real Madrid win a record 11th UEFA Champions League title in Milan.

The 31-year-old, however, sat out Portugal`s defeat by England.

Portugal start their campaign against Iceland in Saint-Etienne on June 14 in a Group F match. Other teams in the group are Austria and Hungary.

Meanwhile, France have declared high alert ahead of the tournament, starting June 10.

Last November Islamic State terror group attacked Paris, killing 130 people.