PARIS — Police detained 127 people across the Paris metro area late Wednesday, including 107 with in city limits, after fans of Paris Saint-Germain clashed with law enforcement following the club's advancement to the Champions League final.
The unrest unfolded outside Parc des Princes stadium and along the Champs-Élysées, where officers dispersed groups attempting to block the Paris ring road. Eleven rioters were injured — including one from a mortar explosion — and 23 police officers sustained minor injuries.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez condemned the violence in an EU1 radio interview, calling the clashes "a few hundred individuals looking to cause problems during what should be celebrations." He praised police for preventing greater property damage and potential store looting.
The final is scheduled for May 30 against Arsenal in Budapest. Nuñez noted security the re would be scaled up accordingly.
He also appeared to fault recently elected Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire for publicly announcing aParis fan zone for the final with out prior police consultation. "Well need to determine where that fan zone operates," Nuñez said.
A pattern of chaos
Violence has repeatedly accompanied major PSG moments in the capital. When the club won the Champions League last year, French authorities made more than 500 arrests nationwide. In 2020, after losing the final to Bayern Munich, police detained 148 people a day later when fans smashed cars and store windows.
PSG's 2013 Ligue 1 title — ending a 19-year drought — saw celebrations cut short after several hours of fighting between supporters and riot police left 30 people injured.
The club has reached its third Champions League final since 2020, now facing Arsenal in a venue safely distant from the streets that proved unmanageable at home.