One dead and 780 arrested as PSG’s Champions League celebrations descend into chaos

A car burns and fireworks explode as police monitor PSG supporters’ celebrations in Paris (AP Photo)

Celebrations following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League triumph over Arsenal were overshadowed by widespread disorder across France, with authorities confirming 780 arrests overnight and several serious incidents reported across the country.PSG secured a dramatic victory in Budapest on Saturday, sparking jubilant scenes among fans in Paris and other cities. Thousands of people flooded the public areas to celebrate the club’s latest European success, but the festivities quickly turned chaotic in several places.Anticipating potential trouble, French authorities deployed around 22,000 police and security personnel across the country. Despite the large-scale operation, there were clashes between groups of supporters and law enforcement in a number of areas.Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police faced an unusually high number of fireworks fired directly at officers during the riots. He revealed to reporters on Sunday that dozens of members of the security forces were injured during the unrest.“In France, 219 participants were injured, eight of them seriously.”He also confirmed that 57 police officers and other security personnel were injured in the attack.The celebrations were also marred by tragedy. According to the Paris public prosecutor’s office, a man in his 20s died after his motocross bike crashed into concrete barriers on the exit ramp of the Paris circuit.Authorities also reported another serious incident in the capital, where a young man suffered serious injuries in a knife attack that investigators say may have been related to a robbery.Outside of Paris, incidents of violence and unrest were reported across the country. Nunez said limited theft and looting occurred in approximately fifteen cities, while riots were reported in 71 municipalities.The scale of the riots surpassed last year’s celebrations following PSG’s previous Champions League success. The total number of arrests represented a 32 percent increase over the numbers recorded during the club’s title celebrations a year earlier, according to the interior minister.Attention now turns to Sunday’s victory parade in Paris. Around 100,000 supporters are expected to gather at the Eiffel Tower to welcome the players before traveling to the Elysee Palace for a reception hosted by President Emmanuel Macron.Nunez warned that authorities would maintain a heavy security presence during the celebrations.He said a “strong law enforcement response” would be deployed, while warning that anyone trying to block traffic or illegally enter the Paris circuit could face financial penalties.The violence has also reignited debate over how major football celebrations in the French capital should be managed. The mayor of Paris’s 8th arrondissement, which includes the Champs-Elysees, argued that a ban on mass gatherings on the famous avenue was the only practical solution after Saturday’s events.In a statement, City Hall said:“The Champs-Elysees avenue and its surroundings ceased to be a place of celebration and became an arena of urban guerrilla warfare”.He added: “Since it is impossible to celebrate the match without rioting, the only sane answer is the new doctrine: ‘zero assembly’.”Nunez rejected the proposal, saying that implementing such a measure would consume a huge portion of available security resources. Nearly 6,000 police and gendarmes have been assigned to oversee Sunday’s events as authorities try to ensure the PSG celebrations go ahead without any further serious incidents.