Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 fixture against Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday could be postponed after police raised concerns about security during continuing unrest across France.
The Paris police prefecture has asked the French Professional Football League (LFP) to rearrange the match, which is scheduled to take place in the French capital, according to French media reports.
L’Equipe reported that the game could instead be played on Monday, although no official decision has yet been announced.
The fixture is one of several major sporting events taking place in the Paris area this weekend, placing additional pressure on security resources.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to play the New Orleans Saints in an NFL regular-season game at the Stade de France on Sunday. The match is expected to require a significant police presence.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday that French authorities would deploy a “massive” security operation for protests planned on Saturday. The announcement followed rioting and looting in Paris and other French cities on October 17.
The unrest, among the most serious France has experienced in years, came after weeks of largely peaceful student protests and broader demonstrations linked to the cost of living and declining public services.
Authorities imposed curfews in parts of several cities on Monday.
Another Ligue 1 match has already been rescheduled because of the security situation. Toulouse’s home game against Troyes, originally due to be played on Saturday, has been moved to Sunday at the request of local authorities, the LFP said on Wednesday.
The PSG-Lyon fixture and the NFL game are both scheduled in the French capital area on Sunday, while the Toulouse-Troyes match is being held elsewhere in the country.
Reuters has contacted Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Lyonnais, the LFP and the Paris police prefecture for comment.