TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The Euro 2016 football championships kick off in France on Friday under unprecedented security and with President Francois Hollande vowing to take decisive action to stop strikes hitting the showpiece event.





The action on the pitch starts when France face Romania in the Stade de France in Paris at 1900 GMT, but the buildup has been blighted by industrial unrest over labor reforms and fears the tournament will be the target of a terrorist attack.

As bags of uncollected rubbish piled up in the streets of Paris and train drivers threatened to disrupt services to the stadium, Hollande said he would take "all necessary measures" to ensure the smooth running of the championships, AFP reported.

Up to 90,000 police and private security guards will protect players and supporters, just seven months after coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris killed 130 people.

The government is eager to make sure the championship goes off without a hitch, but weeks of protests and industrial action have provided a somber prelude to Europe's four-yearly football event.

As hundreds of thousands of fans began pouring into the capital ahead of the football action, a train strike rumbled into its ninth day on Thursday, while bags of rubbish piled up on the streets.

Rail workers have threatened fresh disruption on Friday on the lines serving the Stade de France.

By Tasnim News Agency