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One man died and more than 200 people were injured in clashes in Paris, after celebrations of Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions League final on Saturday were tarnished by violence in the French capital.
Police chief Laurent Nuñez said that authorities arrested 491 people in Paris, many for causing disorder or possession of fireworks. Fans raided several shops in the Champs-Élysées area and burned cars, with the majority of the disorder happening on the central Parisian avenue after the football match, which took place in Munich, Germany.
Nuñez said: “Several thousand people were . . . clearly there to lay into the security services and commit looting and damage. It was clearly their only goal because . . . they weren’t even watching the match.”
A young man in his 20s died in a road accident, which Nuñez said police believed was linked to the disorder. Local media reported that another person had been stabbed to death in south-west France but this has yet to be linked to the post-match chaos.
In total, 192 civilians were injured, including four serious injuries. Nine members of the security services were also injured, but none seriously, Nuñez said.
The Paris Police Prefecture had organised a police force of more than 5,000 officers in anticipation of violence, after public disorder at previous large sporting events, including after PSG’s semi-final victory over London club Arsenal on May 7.
Police deployed water canons to disperse crowds, and Nuñez said “the majority of cases [of violence] were prevented” by the police presence.
He said the operation was “neither a success nor a failure” and that his forces were not done with their task, as they prepared to police a parade in the capital on Sunday afternoon.
Offering support to French police, interior minister Bruno Retailleau qualified those involved in the violence as “barbarians [who] have come down into the streets of Paris to commit crimes and provoke the security services”.
But political recriminations over the violence had already begun on Sunday. Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right Rassemblement National, said the threat had been “underestimated”, adding: “As with every public celebration, the capital of France becomes a playground for thugs”.
However, Antoine Léaument, a deputy for the far-left La France Insoumise, criticised the use of tear gas on largely peaceful fans.
Supporters began celebrating victory well before the final whistle, letting off flares and fireworks in the streets of Paris as PSG swept aside Italian club Inter Milan in a dominant display in Munich’s Allianz Arena.
Despite the violence, the majority of fans marked PSG’s victory peacefully, in scenes of joy and celebration after the club’s first European triumph. Car klaxons sounded and supporters chanted late into the night.
Most Parisians were in a joyous mood despite the violence. On Sunday, Florian Gouyard and his teenage son David travelled to Parc des Princes to buy the new PSG jersey, embroidered with a star to mark the Champions League victory.
“There was an hour wait to get in to the store, but it was worth it,” he said. The pair, season ticket holders, said they planned to attend the celebration at the stadium on Sunday. “We’ve been waiting for the victory for years so we’re going to enjoy it!” said Florian.
After the parade, President Emmanuel Macron will welcome players and coaching staff to the Élysée Palace at 7pm on Sunday.
The Elysée said in a statement that the victory “marks a historic stage for French football on the European stage and crowns the engagement of an entire club and its supporters”.
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