| Galatasaray fans beaten by French fans When a football match takes place at the Parc des Princes stadium, even the uncompromising Parisian police turn a blind eye to the cars parked in unimaginable disorder. However, given the tension in Franco-Turkish relations following France's recognition of the Armenian genocide and the recent reception of Kurdish refugees, the relevant services were cautiously awaiting the PSG-Galatasaray Champions League match, and more than a thousand police and gendarmes were mobilized to ensure order.
The final game of the Champions League group stage had no sporting significance for both teams, but this did not affect the aggressive mood of some fans. The first incident was recorded before the start of the game, when a bus carrying Turkish fans was attacked. Then, at the very beginning of the second half, when PSG was leading 2:0, improvised projectiles flew towards the visiting stands, and excited Turkish fans, who numbered from 5 to 6 thousand that evening, waving bottles, came close to the fence separating the stands . PSG fans were the first to force the barrier and attack the opponents.
Alas, after the sad meeting of the French championship PSG - Cannes in August 1994, when the gendarmes were attacked by hooligans from Boulogne, the forces of law and order hesitate before acting in the stands. But the stadium's regular security failed, and the police had to intervene. The clashes moved to the grass: several Turkish fans ended up on the field. At the same moment, the gendarmes fired tear gas and the Portuguese referee was forced to stop the game. This has not happened at this stadium since the 1982 French Cup final between PSG and Saint-Etienne. Despite the intervention of the gendarmerie, the intensity of passions did not subside, and five wounded were sent to the hospital. The UEFA representative convened the clubs' management for a meeting and, after a 20-minute break, allowed the match to continue under the supervision of gendarmes lined up along the edges of the field.
But the passions did not subside - after the end of the match, the police had to restore order in the neighboring streets for a long time. And half an hour before midnight, five Turks getting into a car were attacked by fifty local fans. At the same time, one Turkish fan was stabbed in the arm.
Preliminary results of the evening: 56 wounded (including four stadium employees), of whom 17 were hospitalized, 6 people were detained. The Turkish press claims that the riots were sparked by French fans waving the Armenian flag, and the Turkish Foreign Ministry has protested. Perhaps CCTV cameras will help the Parisian police identify the instigators of the riots. UEFA has so far refrained from drawing conclusions, but the organization's disciplinary commission will consider what happened at a meeting on March 21. And it is possible that after an unsuccessful season, PSG will also have to deal with the consequences of a match with the Turkish Galatasaray that, in fact, did not decide.
The very next day, French Sports Minister Marie George Buffet called the incident unacceptable. “Such behavior from fans affects normal spectators, teams, and referees. They should feel safe. And the instigators of such outrages should be banned from appearing in stadiums. Sports matches should remain a source of pleasure and celebration.” Konstantin KOMKOV, Paris |
|
