Where The Story Turns
PARIS — Police deployed tear gas and made arrests across central Paris late Wednesday as celebrations for Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final berth turned confrontational. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed 127 arrests in the Paris metropolitan area, including 107 within the city itself.
The unrest followed PSG's elimination of Bayern Munich, sending the French side to a second consecutive final and third since 2020. Clashes erupted near the Parc des Princes stadium and along the Champs-Élysées, where officers worked to keep the major thoroughfares clear after fans attempted to block the巴黎 ring road.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The Stakes In Plain Sight
Twenty-three police officers sustained minor injuries. Among those detained, 11 rioters were hurt — one seriously, the result of mortar fire. Nuñez condemned the violence, crediting police with preventing broader property damage and potential looting.
Security will be heightened for the May 30 final in Budapest against Arsenal. Nuñez noted the upcoming fixture required increased coordination.
The Question Left Open
Nuñez appeared to take issue with Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, who announced a fan zone for the final without prior police consultation. "We need to see where this fan zone will be organized," Nuñez said.
The scale of unrest has grown familiar. When PSG won the Champions League last year, authorities made over 500 arrests nationally. In 2020, after losing the final to Bayern, police detained 148 people in a single night — cars smashed, store windows broken. Violence has become almost routine around major PSG moments, and fans have learned to expect heavy police presence regardless of whether the team wins or loses.