In a historic night for French football, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) finally clinched their long-awaited first UEFA Champions League title with a resounding 5-0 win over Inter Milan. But while the on-pitch glory united fans in jubilation, the celebrations quickly spiralled out of control in several parts of the country, leading to deadly incidents, hundreds of arrests, and widespread unrest.
Celebrations Turn Violent: Over 550 Arrested, Two Dead
Following the final whistle, PSG fans flooded city streets to celebrate what is arguably the club’s most significant achievement to date. However, what began as joyful revelry took a dark turn. According to the French Interior Ministry, at least 559 people were arrested nationwide, with 491 in Paris alone. Authorities reported over 200 vehicles set on fire, alongside 692 fire-related incidents throughout the country.
Tragically, two young men lost their lives during the chaos. In Paris, a man in his 20s was struck and killed by a car in what officials believe may have been linked to the post-match celebrations. In the southwestern town of Dax, a 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed amid a crowd of revellers. Elsewhere, in the city of Grenoble, a car ploughed into a group of fans, leaving four people injured, two of them seriously.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin condemned the violence, stating that many of those involved in the riots were not genuine football supporters. “These troublemakers do not represent the values of sport or our country,” he said. He also vowed swift legal action against those responsible.
PSG Strongly Condemns Violence
PSG issued an official statement distancing the club from the violence and offering condolences to the victims. “We are appalled by the acts of violence that have occurred. These actions directly contradict the values of our club. We express our deepest sympathies to those affected and fully support the efforts of law enforcement to restore peace,” the statement read.
Aware of the potential for large-scale gatherings, the French government had already deployed around 5,400 police and security personnel in Paris ahead of the celebrations. Despite the chaos in the immediate aftermath of the win, the official championship parade proceeded peacefully, with over 100,000 fans lining the streets of Champs-Élysées to cheer on the team as they passed by in an open-top bus.
Thanks to the pre-emptive police measures and crowd management efforts, the parade was largely incident-free, offering a moment of unity and pride after a night marred by unrest.
A Historic Win for French Football
PSG’s emphatic 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan was not only their first Champions League title but also the most considerable margin of victory in a Champions League final. With this win, they became only the second French club in history, after Marseille in 1993, to lift European football’s most coveted trophy.
The victory capped years of massive investment by the Qatari-backed club and solidified their status among Europe’s elite. French President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo both extended public congratulations to the team, hailing the win as a “triumph for all of France.”
While the nation rightly celebrates PSG’s momentous achievement, the post-match chaos is a sobering reminder of the need for responsible celebration. What should have been a unifying national moment was instead marred by violence, loss, and destruction.
As France takes stock of both the pride and pain of this historic night, authorities are calling for accountability, and fans are reminded that proper support means celebrating with joy, not destruction.
