Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain fans clashed on the streets of Budapest ahead of Saturday night’s Champions League final.
Footage circulating online shows a brawl breaking out between the two sets of supporters, with punches being thrown while flares are set off in the background.
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The unsavoury scenes unfolded on Kiraly Street in Budapest, with French fans heard shouting ‘allez’ during the altercation.
In one clip, a woman can be seen kicking a man, causing him to stumble backwards, before three other men throw punches at him.
Another man can then be seen waving a flare, as red light blazes in the street.
It is currently unclear which fans were involved in the brawl, with police reportedly working to identify the perpetrators.
According to the Daily Mail, a police spokesperson has revealed officers are investigating ‘group disorder’.
In an unrelated incident, two British supporters have been arrested for disorderly conduct and damaging a vehicle.
Unprecedented numbers
The violent scenes come as Budapest is set for its biggest ever policing operation ahead of hosting the Champions League final.
Around 4,000 officers will be deployed for tonight’s showdown at the Puskas Arena, with huge numbers of fans expected in Hungary.
This marks the largest mobilisation of police on duty at the same time in the city’s history.
As many as 10,000 supporters are expected to arrive without tickets, leading authorities to plan ahead in order to prevent clashes between both sets of fans.
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It could be an historic night for Premier League champions Arsenal, who are targeting a first-ever European crown, having only contested a final once before.
The Gunners were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona in 2006, and take on a PSG side bidding to win back-to-back titles.
For the big occasion, each club has been allocated 17,000 tickets respectively to fill up the 67,000-seater stadium.
But with a huge number of English and French supporters expected beyond the ground, this means an extra 45,000 people will be descending on Budapest.
The Budapest police force are well prepared to handle any disorder, with various measures in place.
This includes standard policemen, motorcycle patrol squads, dog units, mounted police and drone operators.
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Provisions made
Speaking to the press this week, Janos Zoltan Kuczik, commander of operations for the final, warned: “We will take decisive action if we encounter any behaviour that disrupts public order.
“It’s no secret that having fans from London and Paris in Budapest at the same time poses a significant risk, but it is our job to minimise that risk.”
Security preparations for European football’s blockbuster finale reportedly began over a year ago.
This marks the first time that Hungary has hosted the Champions League final.
They had previously staged the 2023 Europa League final and the 2020 UEFA Super Cup.
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As well as increased security, the city has also laid on extra public transport and fan buses for both teams’ supporters.
While kick-off is set for 6pm local time (5pm UK time), fans will be allowed to start queuing for the ground three hours earlier, with a fan zone showing the game on big screens for those without tickets.
