After Paris Saint-Germain beat Arsenal to win a second straight Champions League title on Saturday, thousands of PSG fans spilled into Paris streets near Parc de Princes and the Champs Élysées. Police deployed 22,000 officers, used teargas, and made more than
Paris police flooded the city with officers on Saturday night after Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League win turned into street tension, with teargas deployed and dozens of arrests made in the hours following the final.
Thousands of fans took to parts of Paris linked to the club’s victory. and footage aired on news channel BFM showed scenes of brief skirmishes and moments of disorder around PSG’s Parc de Princes stadium in western Paris. The stadium hosted more than 40,000 spectators watching PSG claim its second consecutive title, with the win broadcast on giant screens.
At the same time, the Champs Élysées boulevard—partially cordoned off by authorities—filled with supporters. TV footage showed the crowd was mostly peaceful, while police estimated the size at 20,000. Some fans let off fireworks and lit flares. turning the celebration into a high-energy night for a city that has seen violence at major events before.
France has deployed 22,000 police to keep order in the capital, reflecting the caution after last year’s Champions League celebration for PSG’s first title. In that earlier incident, two people died and close to 200 were injured.
By 11 p.m. local time on Saturday, police had made more than 130 arrests, Paris Police said. A police spokesperson also told Reuters that six vehicles and two storefronts had been damaged.
The sequence of the night—crowds gathering around the stadium and major boulevard, police staging a large presence, and the rapid escalation into arrests and teargas—played out against a backdrop that is hard to ignore: a previous PSG title celebration that ended with deaths and mass injuries.
For PSG fans, the second straight Champions League title brought a familiar mix of pride and public scrutiny, but this time the city’s response was immediate and forceful, with officials moving fast to contain what unfolded after the final.
PSG Paris-Saint Germain Arsenal Champions League final Paris police teargas arrests Parc de Princes Champs Élysées fan clashes