French police have detained 780 people following violent clashes in Paris and around 15 other cities after Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal to win the Champions League. Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said 57 officers were injured, most with minor injuries, as fans set fires, vandalised shops, and attempted to storm a police station.
Nuñez stated that most celebrations were peaceful, with the worst incidents concentrated near the Champs Élysées and the Parc des Princes, where over 40,000 fans had gathered to watch the match. Police intervened five times overnight to prevent traffic blockades on the Paris ring road.
In the Paris area alone, 480 people were detained. The Paris prosecutors' office said 277 people were placed in police custody, including 82 minors, facing charges such as assaulting police, theft, vandalism, and disturbing public order. One serious accident occurred when a driver lost control and rammed into a restaurant terrace, leaving two people wounded.
Despite the unrest, Nuñez confirmed that planned celebrations for the team's win would proceed on Sunday afternoon at the Champ de Mars, near the Eiffel Tower. The PSG team is also scheduled to meet President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.
France had deployed 22,000 police officers to maintain order. Last year, two people died and nearly 200 were injured after PSG's first Champions League win. The Champs-Élysées, partly cordoned off, saw an estimated 20,000 mostly peaceful fans, though smaller groups caused disturbances, vandalising shops and setting cars alight.
