Police Arrest Scores of Fans After PSG Final Victory
Celebrations following Paris Saint Germain’s UEFA Champions League final victory descended into violent clashes across the French capital on Saturday, with police arresting dozens of supporters and detaining 79 people in scenes that mirrored last year’s chaotic post final unrest.
The French champions clinched the continental crown in Budapest after a dramatic penalty shoot out victory over Arsenal FC, triggering nationwide celebrations that quickly escalated into confrontations with security forces in Paris.
French authorities had braced for trouble, deploying approximately 22,000 police officers across the country, including 8,000 stationed in Paris alone. The massive security operation came in direct response to last year’s destructive aftermath, when youths ransacked shops along the Champs Elysees and adjoining streets following PSG’s previous Champions League triumph, leading to hundreds of arrests.
According to figures released by Paris police, 79 people were detained within the city, with 45 of them subsequently taken into custody. Six vehicles and two business premises sustained damage during the unrest, and one police officer was reported injured in the confrontations.
The Champs Elysees, the symbolic heart of Parisian celebration, drew an estimated 20,000 supporters who converged on the avenue as fans poured out to mark the historic win. Ahead of the match, shopkeepers along the famed boulevard had boarded up storefronts in anticipation of possible disturbances, a precautionary measure rooted in last year’s costly experience.
Security forces seized two dozen flares and roughly 100 fireworks during the operation, while a bus shelter near the Champs Elysees was destroyed. Authorities also halted tram services, shut down several metro stations, and suspended bus operations in parts of the city to limit movement and reduce flashpoints.
Tensions reached a peak near PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where tens of thousands had gathered inside to watch the match on giant screens. Outside the venue, between 4,000 and 5,000 supporters loitered, with projectiles thrown at officers. A bakery and a restaurant near the stadium were damaged in the violence.
Police reported that approximately 150 individuals “attempted to enter through one of the gates” at the stadium before being pushed back by officers. Some supporters also tried to erect a barricade using rental bikes, which authorities promptly dismantled.
An AFP reporter at the scene witnessed clashes between police and fans near the stadium, with officers deploying tear gas after fireworks were hurled in their direction.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez defended the operation, stating that a “very robust, very solid system in place” had been mobilised to contain violence.
A police spokesperson reinforced the position, declaring, “Our responsibility is to guarantee everyone a festive celebration that is calm and fully secure.”
Despite the disturbances, the scale of damage appeared significantly contained compared to the widespread destruction recorded after last year’s victory, suggesting the heightened security footprint achieved at least partial success in managing one of European football’s most volatile celebration scenarios.