Paris Saint-Germain players celebrated with the Champions League trophy on stage near the Eiffel Tower on Sunday, marking their second straight title, but the festivities were overshadowed by violent clashes that led to hundreds of arrests and dozens of injuries.
The French capital laid out a red, white and blue carpet for the team, who returned from Budapest after defeating English Premier League champions Arsenal 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out. Tens of thousands of flag-waving fans lined the streets from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to the Champ-de-Mars plaza.
The team was also received by President Emmanuel Macron before heading to their Parc des Princes stadium for a final encounter with fans.
However, the night of celebrations was marred by clashes between youths and police in Paris and other cities, with cars set on fire and shops looted. One man died riding his motorbike around the Paris ring road in celebration, while authorities reported stabbings and other attacks. Fifty-seven police officers and 219 participants were injured, with eight in critical condition.
Arrests and Political Reactions
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said there were 780 arrests across France, nearly a third more than last year when PSG's victory over Inter Milan also sparked disturbances. Looting occurred in around 15 cities nationwide. Municipal workers hurried to clear Paris streets of broken glass, wrecked bus shelters, trash cans, and burned-out vehicles before the team's return.
President Macron called the violence "unspeakable" and praised PSG as an "immense pride" for France, but vowed to be "ruthless with those who have been caught."
Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire downplayed the severity, saying such incidents were nothing new and blaming media coverage and troublemakers seeking attention on social media. The town hall for the Paris district including the Champs-Elysee called for a ban on such gatherings, describing the area as "an arena of urban guerrilla warfare."
Politicians from all sides lambasted the troubles. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen wrote on X that "only in France does a football club's victory spark riots." Valerie Pecresse, head of the greater Paris council, slammed "brainless thugs who destroy everything, tarnishing the image of Paris and France." A spokesperson for the hard-left France Unbowed criticized the government's management of the event.
Security and Fan Reactions
Nunez promised "strongarm" security for Sunday's celebrations, with 6,000 police deployed across central Paris. Fans filtered through security checkpoints to reach a stage where players appeared, chanting "Paris, Paris" as the song "We Are the Champions" blared.
PSG captain Marquinhos and striker Ousmane Dembele were among the most applauded as they lifted the trophy. Dembele said, "We will be back next year for the third." But PSG's Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi appealed to the crowd: "Please celebrate calmly today. We must protect our city."
The streets were so packed that the team arrived more than an hour late at the Champ-de-Mars, where they paraded on a tricolour carpet. Mirna Makima, a 39-year-old physiotherapist from Belgium, said, "It was great, there was the stress of the penalty shootout but it was good stress in the end."
