On Tuesday, we covered reports from France which stated Paris authorities were well prepared to welcome Aston Villa supporters, and were well aware there would be a large number travelling to the city without tickets.
It was also explained that the match wasn’t seen as especially troublesome to police because there’s no record of animosity between PSG fans and Aston Villa supporters.
France’s RMC now report on skirmishes which took place on Tuesday evening.
Their headline shouts: ‘PSG-ASTON VILLA: STOOLS THROWN, PUNCHES… A VIOLENT FIGHT BETWEEN ENGLISH AND FRENCH PLAYERS BROKE OUT OUTSIDE A BAR’
RMC further state there were ‘insults, punches and flying stools’, as fans clashed on the evening before the Champions League game.
The clash happened near the Moulin Rouge in Pigalle, where Aston Villa supporters had gathered, initially without any issues. What happened to lead up to the clash is unclear, with RMC not really pinning the blame. Given they’d be more inclined to point fingers at the away fans, that may be informative in itself.
There’s likely to be an increased security presence today, partly around where Aston Villa fans will be arriving in Paris, and also where they’re expected to congregate.
Despite RMC carrying videos which show Aston Villa fans being attacked, that isn’t the line of reporting they’re going for initially.
