LILLE, France: French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence that broke out on Saturday between fans en route to the French Cup final – a match the head of state will attend.
Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans clashed on a French highway on Saturday on their way to an evening game in Lille.
The incidents occurred 60km from the northern city where the final is being played, as Paris’ Stade de France prepares for the Olympics.
The clashes involved around 100 Lyon supporters and around 200 PSG fans, with two coaches on fire, a police source said.
A source from the regional police authorities said that 20 supporters were slightly injured.
Traffic on the main north-south highway A1 was interrupted in both directions.
Addressing the public in nearby Tourcoing ahead of the match, Macron said he “condemns all violence with the utmost determination” and added: “I hope tonight will go as normal as possible.”
There was a heavy police presence in Lille as fans of the rival teams mingled throughout the day ahead of the game, which kicks off at 1900 GMT (21:00 local time).
Local authorities have put in place a number of administrative measures for the high-risk match.
Fans are banned from moving “outside the designated areas” near the stadium until 04:00 local time on Sunday, and authorities have banned public consumption of alcohol “in a glass or metal container” until the same time.
Macron condemns violence before PSG-Lyon final
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence as Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain supporters clashed on a highway leading to the venue of the Coupe de France (French Cup) final a few hours before kick… https://t.co/ZEZ1xbZfsb
— ESPN Soccer (@ESPNsoccer) May 25, 2024
