French police moved onto the streets of Lille to keep order on Wednesday as tens of thousands of Russian, English, Welsh and Slovak fans arrived for the latest round of Euro 2016 fixtures.
Authorities fear Russia's game against Slovakia on Wednesday followed by England v Wales in the nearby city of Lens on Thursday could trigger a new bout of unrest.
A police spokesman, who revealed 4,000 police and gendarmes will be on duty in the city over the next few days, said seven arrests were made during the night, mainly to stop fights erupting between rival groups of supporters.
They included two Russians, held over scuffles in a cafe where chairs and bottles were hurled, and two Ukrainians accused of carrying prohibited weapons.
And the tension was evident as rival groups gathered in bars, with a handful of Russians briefly throwing chairs and bottles at England fans who were chanting taunts.
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