Clashes and arrests taint PSG’s Champions League triumph — 416 detained
The Mt Kenya Times 
Paris Saint-Germain’s second successive Champions League title
By Norman Mwale
PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain’s second successive Champions League title, sealed with a penalty shoot-out victory over Arsenal in Budapest on May 30, was overshadowed by widespread unrest across France as celebrations descended into violence, leaving seven police officers injured and 416 people detained nationwide, including 283 in Paris, the French interior ministry said on Sunday.
An unprecedented security operation saw 22,000 officers deployed across the country, 8,000 of them in the capital, after similar disturbances marred PSG’s first European crown last year. Despite tram lines being halted, several metro stations closed and bus services suspended in parts of Paris, thousands poured onto the streets the moment the final whistle confirmed PSG’s 4-3 shoot-out win following a 1-1 draw at the Puskas Arena. Police said some 20,000 supporters converged on the Champs-Elysées, where shops had pre-emptively boarded up windows to avoid a repeat of the looting seen in 2025.
Interior minister Laurent Nunez condemned the disorder as “absolutely unacceptable” and confirmed that seven officers had been wounded during clashes. “I condemn this strongly, there are always hundreds of individuals responsible for these excesses during these festivities who look to clash with law enforcement,” he told Europe 1 radio, praising officers for preventing further damage and looting. The ministry reported that six vehicles and two businesses were damaged, a bus shelter was destroyed near the Champs-Elysées, and a bakery and restaurant near the Parc des Princes were also hit. Two dozen flares and about 100 fireworks were seized by police during stop-and-searches.
Footage circulated on social media showed electric bikes set ablaze, flares launched into the night sky and shopfronts vandalised. A group of supporters stormed the Paris ring road, the périphérique, bringing traffic to a halt and letting off flares before officers moved in to clear the area. At the Parc des Princes, where more than 40,000 watched the match on giant screens, 4,000 to 5,000 people loitered outside and threw projectiles at police. Officers responded with tear gas after fireworks were aimed at them, and around 150 people attempted to breach one of the stadium gates before being pushed back. Makeshift barricades built from rental bicycles were dismantled by police in the 16th arrondissement.
The scale of the unrest drew sharp political reaction. Marine Le Pen, president of the National Rally, wrote on X: “Only in France does the victory of a football club spark riots. Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on a night of victory to avoid being confronted with violence”. The match fell on an already congested evening in Paris, with singer Aya Nakamura performing at the Stade de France, rapper Damso at La Défense Arena and the French Open in full swing.
For PSG, the disorder was a troubling repeat of 2025, when celebrations of the club’s first Champions League title left two people dead, including a 17-year-old boy, nearly 200 injured and more than 500 arrested nationwide. Players are still expected to take part in a victory parade on Sunday at the Champs-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower, where about 100,000 people are anticipated, before a reception with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.
Despite the violence, the night marked a sporting milestone. PSG’s triumph came after Ousmane Dembélé equalised from the penalty spot in the 65th minute to cancel out Kai Havertz’s early opener for Arsenal, forcing the shoot-out. Yet the achievement was tempered by scenes that once again raised questions over public order. “The trouble started as soon as Arsenal went one-nil up,” an onlooker told The Sun in Paris. “Chairs and bottles were thrown at the police, who then moved in to make arrests”.
Police said it was not immediately clear how many of the 416 detained nationwide would be remanded in custody for further investigation. With a fan zone yet to be confirmed for future celebrations, Nunez said security would be increased for forthcoming events, adding: “We need to see where this fan zone will be organised”. For now, a historic night for French football ends with the capital counting the cost.
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