Angered over the loss of their team in the Champions League final, hundreds of Paris Saint-Germain fans clashed with French riot police on the Champs-lyses. Deemed to be the French capital's biggest club, PSG lost 0-1 to Bayern Munich in the final match in Lisbon.
In the wake of the social distancing norms being practiced due to the ongoing pandemic, only 5,000 spectators were allowed inside the stadium. To ensure that the remaining fans did not miss on the excitement, PSG had erected two giant screens at its Parc des Princes stadium to beam the match.
Videos, Pictures of Angry Fans Emerge on Social Media
Prior to the match, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had urged the PSG fans to indulge in "mature celebrations" in case PSG defeated Bayern. The request came after PSF fans clashed with police after the team's entry to final post 3-0 win over RB Leipzig.
Hundreds of fans, many of them not wearing masks or observing social distancing, clashed with the fully geared riot police as it broke into a bar to remove the disgruntled fans. The riot police deployed tear gas and baton to disperse the rioting fans outside the club's stadium.
In a number of videos and pictures uploaded on social media, PSG fans can be seen clashing with the riot police as the latter fires tear gas to disperse the fans.
Central Paris was left severely ravaged as fires were lit and property was trashed by the fans, reported The Sun. The disgruntled fans also toppled the cars and set them on fire. The police also charged a group of rioters, after they were caught looting a jewellery store by breaking a window.
The videos also showed some rioters firing fireworks over the heads of police. A fan told the outlet, that the trouble had started before the final whistle. "Riot police were out in force, and they came under attack when PSG went one-nil down," the fan said.
PSG Manager Says Team Fought Well
Reportedly, the authorities had taken extra security measures and deployed 3,000 police deployed on the Champs-lyses. To ensure that the number of fans gathering at team's stadium is less, 17 subway and commuter train stations were closed at night along with three ring road entry points into Paris being sealed off.
Speaking to Goal, PSG manager Thomas Tuchel said that his team fought and he's proud of the attitude of his players even as the result was disappointing. "It was a real fight! I don't know if we can see it on TV. We gave our all, we left our hearts on the field. We can't control the outcome. It's a goal that makes the difference between two super strong teams. I'm very proud of the way we played, of our mentality. That's all a coach can ask of his players. I'm disappointed, but not too disappointed. It's a close score. I'm convinced that if we score first we win the game 1-0," said Tuchel.
Thanking the riot police in managing the angry fans and rioters, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted: "Thank you to the police who are currently carrying out interventions and arrests of small violent groups, troublemakers."
