Trouble flares between police and PSG over 'pyrotechnic devices'

Paris (AFP) – The Paris police made clear on Friday how unhappy they were with the Paris Saint-Germain management after “pyrotechnic devices” twice interrupted the Champions League game against Real Madrid at the Parc des Princes.

The Prefecture of Police (PP) said on Friday they had banned seven fans arrested in possession of flares from the stadium

During Tuesday’s  game “smoke bombs were let off in large numbers in the stands, nearly 150 were fired, causing the interruption of the game twice,” the police said in a statement which went on to make clear that the club itself was also under scrutiny.

“Despite police warnings on the duty of the club to prevent such incidents, which follow several similar and regrettable occurrences at the PSG-Nice game on 27 October 2017 and, more recently, the PSG-Marseille match on February 2018, it is not acceptable that the same things were allowed to happen in a match of such importance,” said the police.

The statement said that the police had sent a letter the day after the match to remind PSG of their obligation “to prevent the introduction and use of smoke makers and fireworks in Parc des Princes”.

It added that police chief Michel Delpuech “will soon receive the directors of PSG to draw up a plan to stop such excesses”. 

On Thursday, UEFA, the governing body of European football, said it was opening an enquiry into the events at the match in which PSG was eliminated from Europe.