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EURO 2016

EURO 2016

French police to swamp Champs Elysees after final

Around 3,400 police will swamp Paris’ Champs Elysees avenue on Sunday night after host nation France play Portugal in the final of football’s European Championship, the city’s police chief said.

Published: 10 July 2016 12:28 CEST
French police to swamp Champs Elysees after final
On Sunday, in addition to the thousands of police on the Champs Elysees, nearly 1,300 officers will be deployed at the Stade de France. Photo: AFP

But even if France win Euro 2016, there will be no victory parade on Monday because of security concerns, Michel Cadot said on Saturday.

“It is just not possible, we cannot allow big crowds to circulate freely on Monday,” Cadot told a press briefing.

Security barriers are already being erected on the renowned avenue for the annual Bastille Day parade on Thursday, which would make the presence of several hundred thousand people for a players’ victory parade impractical, the police chief said.

More than one million people gathered on the Champs Elysees in an explosion of national joy after France won the 1998 World Cup in Paris.

Hundreds of thousands returned the next day for an open-top bus parade by the team on the Champs Elysees.

On Sunday, in addition to the thousands of police on the Champs Elysees, nearly 1,300 officers will be deployed at the Stade de France north of Paris and almost 1,400 police will be stationed at the Eiffel Towar fan zone where a 90,000 crowd is expected to watch the match on giant screens.

Another 700 police will patrol public transport.

Skirmishes between supporters and riot police broke out on the Champs Elysees on Thursday following France’s 2-0 semi-final victory over Germany.

The buildup to the month-long tournament was overshadowed by concerns it would be a target for a jihadist attack.

EURO 2016

Euro 2016 gave France billion euro boost to struggling economy

Hosting the Euro 2016 football tournament cost France less than €200 million ($211 million) but brought some €1.22 billion into the country, according to figures released by the ministry of sports Tuesday.

Published: 10 January 2017 08:31 CET
Euro 2016 gave France billion euro boost to struggling economy
Photo:AFP

There was controversy over the public funds poured into the tournament, with some 24 million euros — double the expected cost — spent on security in light of an increased terrorist threat.

The state spent a further 160 million euros on building and renovating venues for the June and July event, while private funds and tournament organiser UEFA covered the remaining costs.

But Euro 2016 brought 1.221 billion euros into the country both in tourism and spending directly related to the organisation of the tournament, according to data compiled by the Centre of the Law and Economics of Sport at Limoges University (CDES) and the consultancy firm Keneo.

In calculating the figures, researchers took into account the loss from potential tourists who would have stayed away from France to avoid the tournament, as well as the state funds which could have been used elsewhere had they not been set aside for venues.

The average tournament visitor spent 154 euros a day, with most of that going on accommodation and eating out, the study said, with tourism providing a 625.8 million euro boost to the country.

UEFA spent some 360 million euros on organising the tournament in the country, while 24 participating teams gave the economy a 34.9 million euro boost.

Accredited persons for the event spent 34.8 million euros while in the country, and sponsors 22.6 million euros, according to the figures.

Last January the CDES predicted Euro 2017 would bring in 1.266 billion euros in additional expenditure, or 0.1 percent of France's GDP.

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