Two dead and hundreds arrested in France after Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League triumph
Two people died and hundreds were arrested in France overnight as football fans celebrated Paris Saint-Germain's stunning Champions League final victory, the interior ministry said on Sunday.
The epicentre of the euphoria was in Paris, which was a theatre of car horns, cheers, singing in the street and fireworks throughout the night following PSG's 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan in Munich.
The ministry said 491 people were arrested in the capital when crowds converged on the Champs-Elysees avenue and clashes broke out with officers.
Across France as a whole, including Paris, a total of 559 people were arrested, it added.
The two deaths occurred as the celebrations took place.
A man riding a motor scooter in Paris died after being hit by a car in the city's southern 15th arrondissement located just a couple of kilometres away from the Champs-Elysees.
In the southwestern town of Dax, a 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed at a gathering feting the PSG victory, prosecutors said.
His death occurred shortly after the match and "during the celebrations", but the prosecutor's office said it did not know whether it was related to the Champions League final. It added that the perpetrator was "on the run".
The PSG team are to hold a victory parade on the Champs-Elysees on Sunday, with tens of thousands of supporters expected to gather to catch a glimpse of their returning heroes.
Overnight, though, AFP journalists saw police on the famed thoroughfare using a water cannon to stop a crowd reaching the Arc de Triomphe that sits at the top of the Champs-Elysees.
"Troublemakers on the Champs-Elysees were looking to create incidents and repeatedly came into contact with police by throwing large fireworks and other objects," police said in a statement.
Elsewhere, police said a car careered into fans celebrating PSG's win in Grenoble in southeastern France, leaving four people injured, two of them seriously. All of those hurt were from the same family, police said.
The driver handed himself in to the police and was placed under arrest. A source close to the investigation said it was believed the driver had not acted intentionally.
The public prosecutor's office said the driver had tested negative for alcohol and drugs.
The majority of fans celebrated peacefully, but police in Paris said scuffles broke out near the Champs-Elysees avenue, and around PSG's Parc des Princes stadium, where 48,000 had watched the 5-0 win on giant screens.
Most of those arrested in the capital were suspected of illegally possessing fireworks and causing disorder, police said.
The PSG victory meant the club won the biggest prize in European club football for the first time in their history.
One 20-year-old PSG supporter, Clement, said: "It's so good and so deserved! We have a song that talks about our struggles and it hasn't always been easy.
"But we got our faith back this year with a team without stars. They're 11 guys who play for each other."
French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he would host the victorious players on Sunday to congratulate them.
In a message on X, Macron hailed a "day of glory for PSG". Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo hailed it as a "historic" win.
A total of 11.5 million people tuned in across France to watch the match, according to figures given by the Mediametrie audience-measurement company.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
French Open: Sublime Sinner crushes Rublev to reach last eight
Jannik Sinner fired a warning sign to his French Open title rivals as he romped to a comprehensive victory over Andrey Rublev in the French Open last 16 on Monday. Russian 17th seed Rublev appeared to pose a tricky test on paper for Sinner, but the world number one instead cantered to a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 win in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier. "Things can go very quickly in a bad way, especially best of five, it can go very long," said Sinner. "I'm very happy to finish it in three. These night sessions in Paris are very special." The Italian, who returned from a three-month doping ban in May in Rome, will next face unseeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals. Sinner holds a 3-1 winning record against Bublik in their head-to-head, but did lose their last meeting in 2023 on grass in Halle. He is aiming for a third consecutive Grand Slam title in Paris after winning last year's US Open and taking his second successive Australian Open crown in January. Sinner gained a measure of revenge on Rublev for a last-16 defeat at Roland Garros in 2022, when he had to retire injured in the third set. He was in clinical form on Monday, firing five aces and 25 winners past a bewildered opponent. "Inside there's a storm going on but tennis is a very mental game and you don't want to show anything to your opponent," Sinner said of his calm on-court demeanour. "In my young career, the storm was also outside not only inside." The 23-year-old, who lost to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 semi-finals, saved two break points in the opening game of the match. But it was all one-way traffic from there as he powered into a 5-0 lead and clinched the opener despite missing one set point for a first-set bagel. Sinner broke for a 2-1 lead and wrapped up the second set when Rublev dropped serve again. With the crowd firmly behind him, 10-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Rublev upped his level in the third set. But his only break point since the very first game came and went as Sinner remained rock solid on serve, before the top seed took his first match point when a Rublev forehand clipped the net and spun wide.
Khaleej Times
4 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Spain v France not a Ballon d'Or decider, says Lamine Yamal
Spain's Barcelona striker Lamine Yamal has said the Ballon d'Or award won't be decided by performances on Thursday when he and France's Paris St Germain forward Ousmane Dembele take part in the Nations League Final Four. Spain and France meet in Stuttgart for a place in the final, with the winners facing either Germany or Portugal who play in the other semifinal on Wednesday. Yamal and Dembele have been crucial for club and country this season and the prestigious golden ball trophy could end up with one of them in September during the ceremony in Paris. But the Barca striker challenged a journalist who asked whether Thursday's clash would be decisive for the voting. "If you had to give the Ballon d'Or, who would you give it to - the best player of the year or the one who wins on Thursday?" Yamal told Spanish broadcaster Cadena COPE on Monday. "I'm confident we'll win on Thursday, but whether we win or not, I'd vote for the player of the year because if something happens to me or Dembele on Thursday, who do you vote for? One who plays on Sunday? "I would give it to the best player of the year, and I'd keep it for myself." The competition is tough between the duo, with Dembele winning a Ligue 1, French Cup and Champions League treble, while the 17-year-old Yamal won LaLiga, the Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup. Dembele has scored 35 goals in all competitions for club and country this season, while Yamal has netted 19. The nominees for the 2025 edition of the Ballon d'Or award, which covers August 1-July 31, will be announced at the start of August, with the ceremony taking place on September 22.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Alexander Zverev ready for 'best in world' at French Open
Alexander Zverev said on Monday he is ready to face the "best in the world" after setting up a French Open quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic. The German third seed will be well rested for the latter stages of the tournament after his last-16 opponent Tallon Griekspoor retired with an abdominal injury while trailing 6-4, 3-0. Zverev, who lost to Carlos Alcaraz in last year's Roland Garros final, will face Djokovic — who beat Britain's Cameron Norrie — in the last eight as he continues his latest bid for a maiden Grand Slam title. "For me, Carlos is the favourite. I have said that before. Then I would say the next three in line are Jannik, myself, and Novak, right? I still believe that," said Zverev, who is seeded to meet world number one Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. "I still believe on tennis and on experience Novak is up there with us, no question about that at all. So, yeah, I think from now on I have the toughest draw in the tournament. "I'm looking forward to the battles ahead, and I'm looking forward to playing the best in the world." He also reached the final at the Australian Open earlier this year before losing to Sinner. Zverev has made at least the last four at the past four French Opens and is into his seventh quarterfinal at Roland Garros in total. The 28-year-old has won five of his 13 career matches with Djokovic, including in Melbourne in January when the Serb retired injured from their semifinal following the first set. "We have great history in our rivalry, I would say, but I'm looking forward to the match, and it's always a privilege to be on court with him," added Zverev. "But he has to win first today, also, right? I don't want to disrespect anybody, and anybody who is in the fourth round deserves to be there, so I have to respect Cam and we'll see how the match goes. "Of course, playing Novak is always an honour." Dutchman Griekspoor's serve was severely affected by his injury, although he managed to take a 3-0 lead in the first set before Zverev found his rhythm. "Unfortunately this morning in the warm-up... I pulled my abdominal (muscle) which made me not serve fully and not able to compete the way I would like," said Griekspoor, who was playing in the fourth round of a major for the first time.
