Paris was alive with jubilant celebrations as the city celebrated Paris Saint-Germain’s inaugural Champions League triumph on Saturday evening. The night sky was aglow with flares and fireworks, the sound of car horns filled the air, and the iconic Eiffel Tower gleamed in the colors of blue and red to mark the historic occasion. The final match, held in Munich, was a spectacle followed passionately across the city, including at PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where it was displayed on a massive screen. Inter Milan’s defeat with a staggering 5-0 scoreline ignited flare-ups of excitement as well as some disturbances, resulting in a few arrests during the match.
The ardor of PSG supporters was palpable outside the stadium, where an incident early in the match between excited fans lighting flares and riot police led to the use of tear gas for dispersal. At the top of the famed Champs-Élysées, water cannons were utilized to shield the Place de l’Étoile, adjacent to the Arc de Triomphe, from a crowd that was not witnessing the game and attempted to breach a police barrier. By early Sunday morning, authorities reported 294 arrests, including 30 individuals accused of breaking into a shoe store on the Champs-Élysées. Additionally, police stated that two vehicles were set on fire close to Parc des Princes.
Conscious of the potential for festivities to escalate into chaos, a recurring issue in the city during major soccer events, PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé appealed to fans for calm after the match. He urged them to enjoy the victory sensibly, remarking, “Let’s celebrate but without breaking everything in Paris,” during a post-game interview.
The commanding win against seasoned opponents Inter Milan, who have three Champions League trophies to their name, was meant to capture the headlines. Désiré Doué, the 19-year-old PSG forward, played a remarkable game, scoring twice and assisting in another goal. Doué was elated, expressing his gratitude to the city with the words, “Thank you Paris, we did it.”
At the Place de la Bastille, scenes of unbridled joy unfolded as fans ascended the base of the historic column, breaking into song and dance, with flares enhancing the festivity. Elsewhere, individuals on motorbikes added to the excitement by revving their engines and circling the column, much to the crowd’s delight. The atmosphere was buoyant and harmonious, sans any police presence, even as the night ebbed away.
In anticipation of possible unrest following the match, Paris beefed up security measures with a deployment of 5,400 police officers across the city, particularly on the Champs-Élysées and surrounding suburbs. The famous avenue was abuzz with fans as early as 7 p.m., two hours before the night’s climactic game, with continuous singing and the occasional flare lighting up the scenes. The Parc des Princes, with its capacity crowd of 49,000, also saw a significant police presence.
As the clock neared midnight, police prepared for an expected influx of supporters swarming the Champs-Élysées. The city has seen fan violence here in the past, notably about three weeks prior when PSG’s victory over Arsenal was marred by violence, including cars being set ablaze, shopfronts smashed, and 40 arrests. A similar scenario unfolded five years ago after PSG’s loss to Bayern Munich. Similar incidents have occurred following various sporting victories or defeats, such as PSG’s 2013 French title win and international matches involving Algeria and Morocco.