PSG-Barcelona to Go Ahead Despite France Protests

Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League showdown with Barcelona will go ahead as planned at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night, France's interior minister has confirmed, despite a weekend of violent protests that left the country reeling and its police forces stretched to the limit.

The fixture between the European champions and Barcelona was among the events discussed at an emergency government meeting after rioting and looting spread across France over the weekend. Interior minister Laurent Nuñez made clear the match was never seriously in doubt. As the Associated Press reports via ESPN, Nuñez said the possibility of calling off planned events had been discussed — "but this does not apply to tomorrow's match between PSG and FC Barcelona."

A country on edge

The unrest began with student protests over school funding and grew to encompass grievances over the cost of living, spending cuts and declining public services. City halls, public buildings and hundreds of businesses were targeted, and more than 2,000 people were arrested across the country — USA Today puts the figure given by Nuñez at 2,400.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has instructed prefects to impose "very limited" and "localized" curfews in urban centres to prevent further rioting. President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation on Sunday, saying of the violence: "Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it." Nuñez offered his resignation on Sunday but was asked by Macron to stay on and lead the emergency response.

Tuesday's match will require a robust security deployment at a moment when police resources are already strained by weeks of protests — and Paris has recent experience of football celebrations turning ugly, after violence disrupted the festivities for PSG's second Champions League title win in May.

Luis Enrique: "We just need to stay focused"

Asked about the situation at his pre-match press conference, PSG head coach Luis Enrique declined to be drawn. "I am not the person to ask about the topic. I am here to talk about football. Of course, we don't like this kind of violence," the Spaniard said, adding that the tensions would not affect his team and that he was not scared.

Wednesday's Champions League match between Lille and Galatasaray in northern France — where looters also vandalised shops over the weekend — is likewise unaffected, Nuñez confirmed.

So what: the football is big enough on its own

On the pitch, this is the tie of the round: the holders against a Barcelona side desperate to reassert themselves in Europe. Both teams arrive with defensive problems — PSG have lost Nuno Mendes to injury, a major boost for Lamine Yamal, while Barcelona travel without the injured Jules Koundé and Eric García. The football deserves the stage; everyone involved will simply hope the night passes peacefully off the pitch as well as on it.

Beyond the Final Whistle: governments do not cancel nights like this lightly, and they were right not to — postponing the biggest club match in Europe would have handed the chaos a victory it has not earned. But nobody should pretend this is a normal matchday. The Parc des Princes will be ringed by a security operation built for a city under curfew, and the players asked to entertain us are doing so against the backdrop of a national emergency. The best outcome on Tuesday is a classic match that gives France something to unite behind, however briefly. Will the occasion deliver on the pitch? Let us know in the comments.