Ten minutes after Argentina’s victory on penalties against France, a light rain began to fall on the Champs-Élysées avenue, in Paris, surprising the fans who dreamed of celebrating the third championship of the Bleus (blue, in French).
In the bars along the avenue, the scenes of jubilation and emotion gave way to silence after the fourth penalty was converted by Argentina, ending the dramatic decision that ended 3-3.
Around 10 pm (6 pm in Brasilia), the region was almost empty, but some fans there clashed with the police, firing firecrackers as they were forced to disperse.
Around 200 Argentine fans in the French capital gathered in Place de la Concorde to celebrate, and there were no incidents until that time. The place has an obelisk similar to the one in Buenos Aires, hence the choice of the porteños in Paris.
In Nice there was some confusion. To disperse the crowd that was gathering on the rue Jean Médecin, the police used tear gas. The effect was immediate, reported the newspaper Le Figaro. There and in Bordeaux, some fans exchanged insults with the police.
After the semifinal against Morocco, on Wednesday (14), the French police increased this Sunday (18) its staff by 4,000 men, totaling 14,000 police officers prepared to contain the mob in case of excessive celebrations.
On Wednesday, a 14-year-old teenager was killed after a car plowed into his group in Montpellier, southern France. In Lyon, police used gas to disperse fans, and in Nice, the French insulted Moroccans during celebrations.
Four years ago, when France won the Russian Cup, at least 600,000 people gathered on the Champs-Élysées to celebrate the title. See photos from 2018 below.
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