The Champions League clash between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Barcelona will not be postponed or cancelled, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Monday, despite ongoing violent protests across France. Lecornu made the remarks at a news conference held after a crisis meeting.
He said he had asked regional authorities to impose “partial” and “localised” curfews in some cities to protect businesses. The move followed weekend demonstrations that escalated into some of the worst street violence the country has seen in recent years.
Lecornu rules out a full curfew for Paris
Lecornu said a state of emergency could be declared “if necessary”, but he argued that curfews were better suited to the crisis. He acknowledged that a state of emergency remained a very serious measure, particularly in how it would be carried out.
“I am absolutely determined to restore order,” Lecornu said. He did not name the cities that would impose partial curfews or explain what form they would take. He did, however, reject a curfew covering the entire capital, insisting that “these curfews must be local and partial.”
Interior minister says the fixture is still on
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters at the same briefing that there were no plans to cancel the match. PSG, the reigning European and French champions, are due to host the Spanish visitors at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night, with kick-off set for 19:00 GMT.
The fixture, regarded as the pick of the group-stage games in European football’s premier club competition, had been under threat after days of protests across the French capital and beyond. Neither club has suggested the unrest will affect the game, and Barcelona were travelling across the border to Paris on Monday afternoon.
Looting damages Marseille and Lille club stores
The weekend riots and looting also reached French clubs, with Ligue 1 sides Marseille and Lille saying their shops had been vandalised. In a statement on Monday, Marseille said looters caused “significant damage” to its official store on La Canebiere, the most famous avenue in the southern port city, and that the shop had been temporarily closed.
Lille said its city centre store had suffered extensive damage and widespread looting, and that it would stay closed until further notice. The club thanked staff, supporters and passersby who had offered help over the past few hours.
