Paris was transformed into a battleground on the eve of the French Cup final between Nice and Lens, set for this Friday. Tensions escalated late Thursday night as around a hundred Nice ultras, who had been gathered in a local bar, took to the streets in search of rival fans.
According to reports from RMC Sport, this development coincided with the appearance of members from the notorious Parisian hooligan group Karsud, formerly the radical wing of PSG and officially banned from the club’s fan movement since 2017. Eyewitnesses from the Nice camp insisted that the evening had been peaceful until news spread that the Parisian group was approaching with intentions of violence.
Initially, law enforcement had assessed the level of risk for the match at 3 out of 5. However, internal documents from the National Division for the Fight Against Hooliganism indicated a far more serious threat from radical PSG supporters. These reports suggested that despite PSG not participating in the final, there were plans for a “hunt” in the capital.
This forecasted conflict materialized as a significant and brutal brawl erupted on the Quai de Valmy in Paris’s 10th arrondissement in the early hours of Friday. Authorities have highlighted that Parisian groups maintain a longstanding and aggressive animosity towards supporters from both Nice and Lens.