- PSG won the Champions League after thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich
Chaos broke out on the streets of Paris after PSG‘s Champions League celebrations boiled over – with football ultras causing carnage and clashing with police.
Thousands of supporters flocked to hotspots around the city to toast their side’s thumping 5-0 victory against Inter Milan in Munich on Saturday night.
But grim footage shared on social media shows riot officers deploying tear gas and charging at thugs with their batons in skirmishes, while several fires also broke out.
Confrontations took place outside the Parc des Princes, where the one-sided final was being beamed on large screens, and on the Champs Elysees. Police clad in full riot gear swooped on supporters who had thrown bottles and let off fireworks.
The party on the iconic Champs Elysees took a dark turn, forcing officers equipped with batons and shields to scramble in a bid to disperse the crowds.
The ugly scenes during the historic match led Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau to claim that ‘barbarians have taken to the streets of Paris’.
French firefighters were also called into action near the Parc des Princes with footage seemingly showing bikes and mattresses on fire, sending thick smoke into the sky.
Plans to deploy 5,400 police officers and gendarmes around the capital were in place after the final was classed as a high-risk event by the authorities. In a bid to crack down on potential trouble, the area around the Arc de Triomphe was closed to traffic.
Several other roads were also shut off, including the Champs Elysees.
Taking to X to comment on the disorder, a disguted Retailleau said: ‘True PSG fans are getting excited about their team’s magnificent performance.
‘Meanwhile, barbarians have taken to the streets of Paris to commit crimes and provoke law enforcement.
‘I have asked the internal security forces to react vigorously to these abuses.
‘I offer my support to the Police Prefect and all the police officers who are ensuring everyone’s safety this evening.
‘It is unbearable that it is not possible to party without fearing the savagery of a minority of thugs who respect nothing.’
More to follow.
