Tens of thousands of police officers will be deployed in France on Sunday night as Paris Saint-Germain takes on Chelsea in the Club World Cup final thousands of miles away in the United States.
French officials have warned that no fan misbehavior will be tolerated after violence in the country marred celebrations of PSG winning its first Champions League trophy in Germany.
“No gatherings will be tolerated on the Champs-Elysées,” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told RMC media.
“A total of 11,500 police and gendarmes will be mobilized in Paris on Sunday, and 53,000 throughout France.” French police are faced with a double security challenge, with PSG’s match at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey followed on July 14 by France’s Bastille Day celebrations.
“Every year, there are troublemakers who want to have fun with violence, who break things, who want to loot. We’re going to have to provide security for a huge number of events: fireworks displays, parties,” Retailleau said.
Celebrations of PSG’s first Champions League title were largely peaceful but degenerated into violence in some areas. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the western city of Dax during a PSG street party after the final, the national police service said. In Paris, a man in his 20s was killed in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations.
