Families are grief-stricken after an attack claimed the lives of two men who were travelling to watch their national team play Belgium in Brussels for the Euro 2024 football qualifiers. The attacker is believed to have deliberately targeted the Swedish fans.
The incident, which unfolded just four kilometres away from a hotly anticipated match between the Red Devils and Sweden, also left a third individual injured, who is recovering in hospital.
Among those killed in the attack was 60-year-old Patrick Lundström, a dedicated football enthusiast. Distraught, his family spoke to several Swedish outlets, recounting the life of a man deeply cherished by his loved ones.
Credit: Patrick Lundström/Facebook
Patrick, a resident of Switzerland, came from a town just outside Stockholm. Football mad, he was proud to don his Swedish jersey for fixtures abroad. At the time of the attack, Lundström was travelling to King Baudouin Stadium to watch his team play Belgium.
"Football wasn't just a sport to Patrick; it was a lifelong commitment. He was there for his national team in good times and bad, and his enthusiasm for the game was infectious. That Swedish jersey he wore wasn't just fabric; it represented his dedication," his family said.
But Patrick was more than a football fan. His family paints a picture of a warm and caring father and brother, cherished grandfather, and dear uncle. For Patrick, family was of the utmost importance.
"He was the heart of our family, always putting us before anything else. His warmth, his jokes, his keen interest in each of our lives - that's the legacy we'll remember," his family added, their statement a poignant reminder of the man behind the fanfare.
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Credit: Kent Persson/Facebook
The tragedy also took the life of another Swedish national, 70-year-old Kent Persson. Also a dedicated football fan, his social media shows have travelled previously to France for the European Championship in 2016, again proudly wearing his Swedish football jersey. Persson lived in Stockholm and was known to have ‘a big heart.’ He raised money for Afghans in Sweden and for the fight against Alzheimer’s.
The identity of a third victim, who is recovering from his injuries in hospital, is not known. He was visited today by the Swedish Prime Minister on his Brussels visit on Wednesday.
In solidarity with the Swedish football fans, Belgium will not ask Sweden to concede its suspended match. In a post of X, formerly Twitter, the Red Devils Wrote that their “thoughts are with the Swedish” and that they were “devastated” by the Brussels terror attack.
