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'Protect yourself': PSG loss sparks horrible rioting amid virus concern

A riot police officer tangles with a member of a bar (pictured left) and a PSG fan masked up throwing tear gas.
A riot police officer tangles with a member of a bar (pictured left) and a PSG fan throwing tear gas. (Images: Sky News/Getty Images)

Terrible scenes erupted in Paris overnight as riot police were forced to intervene and enforce social-distancing after Paris Saint Germain lost the Champions League final to Bayern Munich.

Pictures of burned out and trashed vehicles near Paris' famous Champs-Elysees emerged in the aftermath of PSG's 1-0 defeat on Sunday.

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Thousands of PSG fans had gathered near the landmark to watch the final and were left heartbroken as their team went down 1-0 courtesy of Kingsley Coman's second-half header.

Images uploaded by Getty Images photographers show plenty of unrest occurring after the match, with pictures of firefighters extinguishing a smoking vehicle, while another car is also pictured laying on its side.

French journalist Charles Baudry documented some of the rioting throughout the night as he wrote “Tensions ongoing around the Parc des Princes ,” on Twitter.

There is also stills of perpetrators throwing flares in the Champs-Elysees, while rubbish bins can also be seen burning as PSG fans marched down the famous promenade in huge numbers.

One video showed riot police storming a bar to remove patrons reportedly flouting distancing rules.

The video shows riot police becoming physical as they clashed with patrons who were either not wearing masks or not obeying social-distancing rules.

Initially, the Interior Ministry encouraged people to watch the game at home rather than going out.

“Make the most of the moment with peace of mind and watch the match from your couch,” the ministry said. “Protect yourself, protect others. Everyone behind PSG.”

Accompanying the message was a photo of feet propped up on a table, in front of a screen, along with the words: “To be sure to have a good seat, watch the match at home!”

Paris Saint-Germain fans gather at Parc des Princes and Champs Elysee Avenue to support their team in the UEFA Champions League final in Portugal's Lisbon, on August 24, 2020 in Paris, France.
Paris Saint-Germain fans gather at Parc des Princes and Champs Elysee Avenue to support their team in the UEFA Champions League final in Portugal's Lisbon, on August 24, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julien Mattia/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Wait continues for Neymar, PSG in Europe

Previous tilts at the European Cup have ended in disappointment for Neymar, who suffered foot injuries, which prevented him from featuring in vital matches against Real Madrid and Manchester United.

This was PSG’s best ever run in the competition, overcoming Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta and RB Leipzig in the knockout stages before failing at the final hurdle.

It marks the end of a long season for Neymar, who played 26 times over the course of an injury-hit campaign and scored 19 goals while creating 12 more.

Thoughts will have to quickly turn back towards their Ligue 1 title defence, with the French top flight having started over the weekend.

PSG’s first domestic match of the 2020-21 season will come next Saturday, when they travel to newly-promoted Lens, while a derby with Marseille follows after the September international break.

With Omnisport and AP