Football fans riot in France following Europa League final (VIDEOS)
A football masterclass from Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final sparked violent unrest in parts of France as police came up against projectile-hurling hooligans in both Lyon and Marseille.
The Spanish side were 3-0 winners on Wednesday in Lyon against a Marseille team unable to make any meaningful breakthrough in the game. With the showpiece final in the Groupama Stadium being one of the last major European football events before the World Cup and France remaining on high alert following recent terrorist attacks, some 1,250 police were out in force across the city of Lyon.
The match went off without a hitch. However, pockets of fans were involved in altercations with police in the immediate aftermath of the club fixture. According to Le Parisien, 21 people, 18 of them Marseille fans, were arrested over disturbances in Lyon.
Footage from outside the Groupama Stadium shows police in riot gear standing behind guardrails as smoke bombs and red flares are thrown in their direction.
In Marseille, hooligans reportedly took to streets in the Old Port district following the team’s defeat. Images shared on social media reveal a group of individuals goading security forces by hurling projectiles, as well burning litter in the road.
The violent disturbances in Marseille lasted until just before 1am local time, after which calm was restored, France Bleu reports.
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