Paris experienced a night of difficulty and unrest following Paris Saint-Germain`s historic achievement, winning their first Champions League trophy with a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter in Munich. While celebrations initially began after the final whistle, they sadly escalated into chaos, resulting in two fatalities and hundreds of arrests across the country.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, authorities apprehended 491 individuals in the capital alone as fans gathered in the streets, particularly on the Champs-Élysées avenue where clashes with police officers occurred. A nationwide total of 559 people were taken into custody.
Police also reported two deaths related to the events: a man in Paris who was struck by a car while riding a scooter, and a 17-year-old who was stabbed during celebrations in the southwestern town of Dax. However, the prosecutor`s office in Dax stated that it is not yet definitively confirmed whether the stabbing incident was directly linked to the Champions League festivities.
AFP journalists on the scene reported that police utilized water cannons to disperse crowds and prevent them from reaching the Arc de Triomphe.
In an official statement, police declared, “Troublemakers on the Champs-Élysées were actively seeking to create disturbances and repeatedly engaged with police by launching large fireworks and other projectiles.”
Separate from the incidents in Paris, a car drove into a group of fans in Grenoble, located in southeast France. Four people were injured in this incident, two of whom were in serious condition. According to a police report, all injured individuals were members of the same family. The driver has since surrendered to the authorities and is currently under arrest.
Despite the instances of violence, the majority of PSG supporters celebrated their team`s victory peacefully throughout the capital`s streets. Nevertheless, police documented confrontations in areas near both the Champs-Élysées avenue and close to PSG`s home ground, the Parc des Princes stadium. Approximately 48,000 fans had gathered at the stadium to watch Luis Enrique`s team lift the trophy for the first time in the club`s history.
Dominic Ashworth