two buses on fire on the sidelines of clashes between OL and PSG supporters on an A1 toll booth near Arras

The incidents took place at the Fresnes-lès-Montauban toll station, around sixty kilometers from Lille, two hours before the Coupe de France final.

Clashes took place between supporters of Olympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint-Germain and “towards the police” at a motorway toll near Arras (Pas-de-Calais), France Télévisions learned from a police source on Saturday May 25. Furthermore, two buses caught fire, two hours before the final of the Coupe de France in Villeneuve d’Ascq (North) and “the barrier of toll” was “partially burned”, specifies the same source. The incidents took place at the Fresnes-lès-Montauban toll station, around sixty kilometers from Lille.

According to the Northern prefecture, these clashes involved “around a hundred individuals”. “The action of the police made it possible to put an end to the clashes”who did “20 lightly injured”, taken care of by the SAMU du Nord. There was no arrest, according to a source close to the case at franceinfo. Bertrand Gaume, the prefect of the Hauts-de-France region, told France Bleu that 8 police officers were slightly injured.

The place of confrontation was a recovery point for supporter buses with a mobile CRS force in place, a source close to the matter told franceinfo. According to the prefect, the PSG ultras have arrived “on time, where needed”while the Lyonnais arrived “in the wrong place at the wrong time, spotted the opposing team” And “came out to attack” Parisians at the toll level, who are “descended to [leur] tower, prompting the intervention of the police”. The national anti-hooliganism division had classified this match as a level 5 out of 5 risk.

Traffic on the highway is interrupted in both directions at the toll, said the prefecture, which recommends avoiding the area. A departmental operational center has been set up at the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, under the authority of the prefect, to coordinate the security and emergency system.

In a press release, the French Football Federation condemned “with the greatest firmness” incidents. “They are the opposite of the values ​​which must be carried by football and which are defended by the federation”.