Paris witnessed a troubling night after PSG secured their first-ever Champions League title with a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter in Munich. Following the final whistle, celebrations commenced in Paris, but tragically, they quickly escalated into chaos, resulting in two fatalities and widespread arrests.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, 491 individuals were apprehended in the capital city as fans gathered on the streets, particularly along the Champs-Elysees avenue, where confrontations with police occurred. Across the entire country, a total of 559 people were taken into custody. Authorities also reported two deaths: a man struck and killed by a car while riding a scooter in Paris, and a 17-year-old who died from a stabbing during the post-match events in the southwestern town of Dax. However, the prosecutor`s office stated it was not yet confirmed if the violence in Dax was directly related to the Champions League celebrations.
Journalists from AFP observed police deploying water cannons to prevent people from reaching the Arc de Triomphe.
In a police statement, it was noted that “Troublemakers on the Champs-Elysees were actively seeking to provoke incidents and repeatedly engaged police by throwing large fireworks and other objects.” Separately, in Grenoble, located in southeast France, a car drove into a group of fans, injuring four members of the same family, two of whom were in serious condition, according to a police report. The driver later surrendered to the police and is currently under arrest.
While the majority of PSG fans celebrated peacefully throughout the capital, police documented clashes near both the Champs-Elysees avenue and close to the PSG`s Parc des Princes stadium, where 48,000 spectators had watched Luis Enrique`s team make history by lifting the trophy for the first time.
