The Result Under The Result
PARIS (AP) — Nearly 130 people were arrested around Paris overnight as fans clashed with police following Paris Saint-Germain reaching the Champions League final, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Thursday.
The total number of arrests was 127 in the Paris metropolitan area, including 107 in Paris, after PSG eliminated Bayern Munich to reach a second straight final and third since 2020.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
There were 11 injuries among the rioters, including one serious injury caused to someone using a mortar, and 23 police officers sustained light injuries. Clashes took place outside PSG's Parc des Princes stadium and on the Champs-Élysées as police dispersed groups and prevented the Paris ring road from being blocked.
The Useful Context
"I condemn this strongly," Nuñez told Europe 1 radio. "There are always hundreds of individuals responsible for these excesses during these festivities who look to clash with law enforcement."
Nuñez thanked police for preventing damage to property and potential looting. He said security would be increased for the May 30 final against Arsenal in Budapest, Hungary.
Nuñez appeared to criticize recently elected Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire for publicly announcing a fan zone in Paris for the final without consulting police beforehand. "We need to see where this fan zone will be organized," Nuñez added.
The Part Still Unclear
Riots have been common in Paris and elsewhere in France in recent years. When PSG won the Champions League last year, police made more than 500 arrests across France. A man in his 20s was killed in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations.
Paris police arrested 148 people after fans clashed with officers and smashed cars and store windows after the club lost the 2020 final to Bayern. When PSG won the French title in 2013 — ending a 19-year wait — celebrations were cut short following violent scenes in which fans fought with riot police for several hours, leaving 30 people injured.
Similar incidents occurred on the Champs-Élysées following Algeria's Africa Cup of Nations win in 2019, in 2021 following a match between Morocco and Algeria in the Arab Cup, and in 2022 after France and Morocco both qualified for the World Cup semifinals on the same day.