PARIS - The French capital is preparing a hero's welcome for Paris Saint-Germain, fresh off their second consecutive Champions League title, under heavy security after a night of celebration turned violent.
PSG beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties in Budapest Saturday, after a 1-1 draw through extra time. Thousands celebrated across France, but authorities reported clashes with police, burglaries, vandalism, a deadly road accident, and hundreds of arrests.
On Sunday, municipal crews cleaned streets littered with broken glass, damaged bus shelters, burned vehicles, and overturned bikes.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez promised a strong law enforcement response during the players' return parade on the Champs-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower. Nearly 6,000 police and gendarmes have been deployed. The team will also be received at the Elysee Palace by President Emmanuel Macron before heading to Parc des Princes.
Nunez said 780 people were arrested nationwide overnight. Fifty-seven security personnel were injured, and 219 participants were hurt, eight seriously. A young man died after crashing his motocross bike into concrete blocks on the Paris ring road. Another was stabbed in an alleged robbery.
The district mayor of the 8th arrondissement, home to the Champs-Elysees, called for a “zero gatherings” policy after 20,000 people turned the avenue into what the town hall called “an arena of urban guerrilla warfare.” Nunez dismissed the idea, saying it would tie up nearly half the security deployment.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen wrote on X: “Only in France does a football club’s victory spark riots.”