BRUSSELS (AP) Belgian police have detained 84 suspected hooligans in the run-up to the Champions League game between Anderlecht and Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Police said all of the detainees were French except for 13 Belgians, and three of Polish origin. Some carried knives and iron knuckles but many were also detained on information given by French authorities. Most of the detentions were preventive and there was been no widespread fighting late Tuesday or in the run-up to Wednesday's match.
Although Belgium has been spared serious hooligan incidents for a few years, there have been intense rumors that hooligan factions of both clubs would clash before the match. Police have some 400 officers on standby in and around the stadium.
The group of Frenchmen who were detained would be escorted back to the French border late Wednesday.
