What began as a night of celebration for Paris Saint-Germain fans quickly turned into scenes of tragedy and unrest across France.Following PSG’s 5-0 win over Inter Milan in Munich, the club’s first-ever Champions League title, mass gatherings erupted across the country. But the jubilant mood was marred by violence, accidents, and chaos, leaving two fans dead, a police officer in a coma, and hundreds arrested.Fans packed the streets of Paris, setting off fireworks and flares in a long-awaited moment of glory. The Eiffel Tower lit up in PSG colours, and the Place de la Bastille saw euphoric scenes. But celebrations spiralled into disorder by midnight, particularly around the Champs-Elysees and Parc des Princes. The interior ministry said 559 people were arrested across France, 491 of them in Paris alone. Fires were lit, shops looted, and clashes with police escalated through the night.
Top developments from PSG’s Champions League celebration night
Victory parade with tight security: PSG’s players and staff will celebrate with fans in a grand parade along the Champs-Elysees on Sunday. The iconic avenue will be closed to traffic and placed under heavy security, with President Emmanuel Macron expected to host the team at the Elysee Palace. “Bravo, we are all proud,” Macron wrote on X. “Paris is the capital of Europe tonight.”Deaths and serious injuries: A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Dax during celebrations, prosecutors said. In Paris, a man in his 20s died after his scooter was hit by a car. In Normandy, a policeman suffered grave eye injuries from a firework and has been placed in an induced coma. In Grenoble, a car accidentally ploughed into a group of fans, injuring four people from the same family, two seriously.Fires, arrests, and looting: Police recorded 692 fires across the country overnight, including 264 cars set ablaze. In Paris, 30 people broke into a shoe shop on the Champs-Elysees, and two vehicles were torched near Parc des Princes. Most of the 559 arrested were held for illegal possession of fireworks and public disorder. The fire hotline was overwhelmed as emergency services tackled blazes and injuries.Heavy police deployment and crowd control: 5,400 police officers were deployed across Paris and nearby suburbs on Saturday night. Tear gas was used near PSG’s stadium, and water cannons were deployed to hold back crowds near the Arc de Triomphe. Police blamed the violence on “troublemakers” who turned up to cause unrest rather than watch the match.
