Violence erupts in Paris following Champions League final
Violent clashes erupted across Paris this evening as PSG supporters turned on police within minutes of Arsenal taking an early lead in the Champions League final, reports BritPanorama.
Officers deployed tear gas and launched baton charges against crowds gathered outside bars and cafés to watch the Budapest showdown on outdoor screens. The disorder ignited almost immediately after Kai Havertz put the Gunners ahead, with fans hurling chairs and bottles at law enforcement.
“The trouble started as soon as Arsenal went one-nil up,” one witness told reporters. “Chairs and bottles were thrown at the police, who then moved in to make arrests.” Approximately 5,000 police and gendarmes had been stationed throughout the French capital in anticipation of potential unrest.
On the pitch in Budapest, Arsenal’s advantage proved short-lived despite their promising start. Havertz had struck in just the sixth minute to give Mikel Arteta’s side the lead, but PSG gradually took control of proceedings. The French champions dominated possession, enjoying 75 per cent of the ball and firing 21 attempts at goal compared to Arsenal’s seven.
Their pressure eventually told when Ousmane Dembélé converted from the penalty spot midway through the second half to level the contest. Neither side could find a winner through extra time, sending the match to a shootout.
PSG held their nerve to triumph 4-3 from the spot, with Arsenal’s Gabriel blazing the decisive kick over the crossbar after teammate Eberechi Eze had also failed to convert earlier in the shootout. The worst violence centred on the Châtelet district, situated between Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre museum.
Hundreds of tourists found themselves trapped amid the disorder as local establishments were forced to turn off their television screens. Fires broke out across multiple locations, with bicycles and rubbish bins set ablaze and smoke rising from various parts of the city. Vehicles were also reportedly torched as the chaos spread through several areas.
Some PSG supporters scaled scaffolding on a building near Rue de Rivoli, one of Paris’s principal shopping thoroughfares, prompting further confrontations as officers attempted to bring them down. A bus stop was destroyed by celebrating fans who jumped repeatedly on top of it following the final whistle. Shop windows throughout central Paris had been boarded up before kick-off amid fears of looting.
By the conclusion of the match, 39 individuals had been taken into custody, while approximately 1,600 people were stopped and searched by officers. Police confiscated weapons and fireworks from those detained during the operation. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed there had been “a brief moment of tension” when ticketless supporters attempted to force their way into the Parc des Princes stadium.
The scenes echoed last year’s semi-final when 43 people were arrested as PSG defeated Arsenal to reach the final. As the celebrations unfolded, amidst the backdrop of chaos, the duality of sport came to the fore — a reminder of the fine line between jubilation and turmoil in the world of football.
