Over 200 injured as PSG Champions League celebration descends into chaos

More than 200 people were injured and one person died in Paris after Paris Saint-Germain’s second consecutive Champions League victory, according to France’s interior ministry, reigniting debate over public disorder in the country.

Following PSG’s dramatic penalty shootout win over Arsenal in Budapest, which secured their place at the top of European football, fans gathered at the Champ de Mars near the Eiffel Tower on Sunday afternoon to celebrate and take part in a planned victory parade.

However, as seen in previous celebrations, the festivities were partly overshadowed by widespread street violence in the aftermath of the match. Authorities reported that 57 police officers were injured and more than 400 people were arrested, some outside Paris.

Officials said several shops were damaged in the capital, while rioters also set cars and rental bicycles on fire. In other towns, including Orléans, there were reports of vandalism targeting public buildings, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.

Although police were not the main targets in most areas, brief clashes occurred near a police station in central Paris on Saturday evening.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that a young man died following a motorcycle accident during the unrest.

Interior Minister Nuñez, formerly the Paris police chief, said a large security deployment of more than 20,000 officers helped keep the situation largely under control.

Political figures from the far-right National Rally party, which is leading in opinion polls ahead of next year’s presidential election, used the incidents to call for stricter law-and-order measures. Party leader Marine Le Pen said such violence was uniquely frequent in France following major football victories.

However, other political voices argued that the unrest reflects deeper social tensions rather than football culture itself. Raphael Glucksmann, a potential centre-left presidential candidate, described French society as increasingly tense and volatile.

Last year, similar celebrations following PSG’s first Champions League triumph also descended into chaos, resulting in two deaths.

Source: Reuters