French police arrested more than 400 people after wild celebrations following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League final victory over Arsenal turned violent, authorities said on Sunday.**
The clashes between football fans and police across France led to 416 arrests, including 280 in the capital Paris, according to the French interior ministry.
Thousands of police officers were deployed to control unrest that disrupted bus, train, and rail services in the city. Fireworks and flares were set off, and several police officers were injured in the chaos. Police fired tear gas to disperse crowds in the city centre.
Video footage from Paris showed flares being lit, electric bikes burning on roads, and revellers smashing the glass of at least one shopfront. Police said six vehicles, two businesses, and a bus shelter were damaged during the unrest.
The Champs-Élysées was flooded with fans shortly after PSG won the final on a penalty shootout against Arsenal. Earlier in the day, there were also clashes between police and supporters who gathered to watch the match on giant screens at PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium.
“It is absolutely unacceptable,” French interior minister Laurent Nuñez said. He confirmed that seven officers were injured in the violence.
The trouble marked the second year in a row of football-fuelled unrest following a PSG victory. Last year, the club’s European championship triumph was marred by clashes that left two people dead, including a 17-year-old boy.
Far-right French leader Marine Le Pen criticised the situation on social media.
“Only in France does a football club’s victory spark riots,” she wrote on X. “Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence.”
Despite the unrest, PSG players are scheduled to take part in a victory parade on Sunday afternoon. The celebration includes touring the Champ-de-Mars next to the Eiffel Tower and a reception hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The victory marked a second consecutive Champions League title for the French side, who defeated Arsenal in a tense final that went to penalties. But for many Paris residents, the night was overshadowed by the violence that followed.
One local shopkeeper, who did not give his name, told reporters: “We want to celebrate the team, not run from trouble. This is not what victory should look like.”
