Paris gets ready ahead of PSG s Champions League final

PARIS - The French capital was getting ready on Saturday morning for the evenings Champions League final between Paris St Germain and Inter Milan, with shops and police tightening security while fans shared excitement.

Although the match will be held in Munich, a PSG victory would be expected to spark celebrations in the club’s home city which could escalate into disturbances, and 5,400 police officers are deployed ahead of the game.

Thousands of PSG fans are expected to gather in the city to watch the match on screens at various locations including the Parc des Princes.

Frances famed Le Fouquets brasserie on the Champs Elysees avenue barricaded its windows, so did some banks and other shops. Police were preventing cars from parking on the avenue.

A sense of excitement was starting to build in the citys hallmark, with PSG supporters queuing in front of the clubs shop to buy merchandise for their big night.

Chef Zoumana Meite, 28, told Reuters he was looking forward to the game and had a good feeling about it.

If we win tonight, it will be a sleepless night, he said. Yes, its a big night... As a Parisian, its something to experience.

As for security, Deborah Mbwebwa, a 29-year-old finance worker, told Reuters PSG supporters like her had been warned not to break anything. I think itll go well, she said.

Mbwebwa was also hopeful for the outcome. The players are aware that the whole city, were all behind them. So I think theyll give it their all tonight, she added.

Im much more confident than in 2020, when they came up short (losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the final). But this time, I think its ours.

Corinne Soler, a PSG supporter of 32 years that came all the way from southern France,