Two Dead, Hundreds Arrested As PSG Champions League Celebration Turns Violent
Two people have died and hundreds were arrested as violent riots erupted across France following Paris Saint-Germain’s historic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
The French interior ministry confirmed the incident on Sunday.
The unrest, which swept through cities nationwide, resulted in the detention of 559 individuals, with 491 of those arrests occurring in Paris. Of those detained, 320 were placed in police custody, including 254 in the capital.
Authorities said 192 people were injured during the chaos, including 22 members of the security forces and seven firefighters.
The ministry confirmed 692 fires throughout the night, 264 of them involving vehicles, amid widespread destruction and clashes with police.
In Paris alone, officers deployed tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons on the Champs Élysées avenue, to disperse unruly crowds.
One of the fatalities reportedly involved a 17-year-old boy who was stabbed to death while celebrating PSG’s win in the southern town of Dax. The second death has not yet been detailed by officials.
The celebratory atmosphere following PSG’s dominant performance at Munich’s Allianz Arena, where 19-year-old Désiré Doué scored twice and assisted another, quickly turned volatile.
Thousands of fans flooded the streets and attempted to breach police lines. Some 131 arrests were made near the Champs Élysées, including 30 individuals who allegedly looted a shoe store.
Police also reported two cars were set on fire near the Parc des Princes.
Inside the stadium in Munich, celebrations nearly spiraled out of control as thousands of fans attempted to storm the pitch after the final whistle. Police struggled to contain the crowd as PSG players received the trophy.
PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé called for calm during a post-match interview with Canal+.
“Let’s celebrate this but not tear everything up in Paris,” he urged the fans.
Despite his allegiance to rival club Olympique de Marseille, French President Emmanuel Macron praised the team’s achievement on social media, calling it “a glorious day for PSG.“
“Paris, the capital of Europe this evening,” he stated.
The president’s office confirmed that the team will be received at the Élysée Palace on Sunday and will parade down the Champs Élysées to mark the club’s first-ever Champions League title.
Two Dead, Hundreds Arrested As PSG Champions League Celebration Turns Violent is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
