Budapest Police Probe 60 Arsenal, PSG Fans in Pre-Final Brawl Ahead of 4,000-Officer Operation
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 30
Budapest Police Probe 60 Arsenal, PSG Fans in Pre-Final Brawl Ahead of 4,000-Officer Operation
9 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 30
Camera footage is being analyzed after about 60 Arsenal and Paris St-Germain supporters allegedly fought and lit flares in Budapest hours before Saturday's Champions League final.
Police said the clash broke out around 00:20 on Kiraly Street in the city's 7th district, and district investigators opened gang-violence proceedings against unknown perpetrators.
Nearly 4,000 officers are being deployed across Budapest for the match at Puskas Arena, with tens of thousands of ticketless fans expected and authorities calling it Hungary's biggest single-day police operation.
Security had been planned for more than a year because the final was classified as high risk, and police had already arrested two Portuguese men and one British man on Friday after separate disorder at the fan festival.
Given PSG's history of fan riots, can any security plan truly prevent violence at major finals?
How did a 60-fan brawl erupt despite Budapest's largest-ever police deployment?
Will UEFA penalize clubs for fan violence that occurs in a host city, far from the stadium?