More than 400 people were arrested and seven police officers were injured across France after celebrations following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League win turned violent, French authorities said on Sunday.According to the French Ministry of the Interior, 416 people were arrested across the country, including 283 in Paris, as clashes broke out between police and fans after Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions League final in Budapest.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said seven police officers were injured during the unrest and described the violence as “completely unacceptable.”The French authorities deployed about 22,000 police across the country to secure the match, including 8,000 in Paris, amid fears of possible unrest.
Despite intense security measures, including the closure of several metro stations, tram lines and bus routes, large crowds gathered throughout the capital.Police said that about 20,000 fans gathered on the Champs-Élysées avenue after Paris Saint-Germain’s dramatic victory on penalties. Six vehicles and two companies were damaged during the unrest. A group of supporters also briefly blocked traffic on the Paris ring road, known as “the Perimeter”, while setting fires.
Near Paris Saint-Germain’s Parc des Princes stadium, where tens of thousands watched the final match on giant screens, clashes broke out after thousands gathered outside the stadium. Police said that about 150 people tried to enter through one of the stadium’s gates, but officers were able to repel them.Authorities also reported that projectiles and fireworks were thrown at police near the stadium, prompting officers to respond with tear gas.
A bakery and a restaurant in the area were damaged, while police quickly thwarted attempts to set up barricades using rented bicycles.Before the match, businesses along the Champs-Élysées boarded up windows to avoid a repeat of the disturbances that followed Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League win last year. Police confiscated about 100 fireworks and 24 illuminated pieces during operations on Saturday night, while a bus stop near the street was destroyed.The violence sparked criticism from far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who wrote on X that “only in France does a football club’s victory spark riots.”Nunez defended the security arrangements, saying there was a “very strong, very solid system” in place to contain the violence.Paris Saint-Germain players are expected to participate in the victory parade on Sunday near the Eiffel Tower, where about 100,000 fans are expected to participate, before French President Emmanuel Macron receives them at the Elysee Palace.
