BARCELONA, Spain — Street parties in Barcelona celebrating the victory of the city’s soccer team in the Champions League final turned violent early Sunday and at least 18 people were hospitalized, according to local media reports.
Police said more than 80 people were arrested after revellers attacked officers with bottles, flares and other objects, and destroyed park benches and bus stops. The scuffles broke out hours after Barcelona beat Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley Stadium in England on Saturday night. About 50,000 people flooded the streets of Barcelona to celebrate.
A police officer was among those hospitalized. AP photographs show plainclothes police officers, who were wearing Barcelona jerseys to blend in with the crowds, making arrests. More than 100 other people were hurt, but they didn’t require hospitalization and were treated at the scene by paramedics for cuts and bruises.
An unnamed 17-year-old woman died accidentally when she slipped and fell into a deep hole beside a fountain while celebrating the win in the northwestern town of Santa Comba, local newspaper La Voz de Galicia reported.
Soccer fans had poured shampoo into the fountain to create bubbles, which concealed an uncovered manhole that led to the fountain’s pump, the paper said.
The team was expected to arrive in Barcelona with the Champions League trophy Saturday afternoon, with tens of thousands of fans expected to line the streets to celebrate the victory.
The festivities will culminate at the 98,000-seat Camp Nou Stadium at around 3 p.m. ET, the club said in a statement.