The French government announced today that celebrations following Paris Saint-Germain’s qualification for the Champions League final resulted in 127 arrests and 11 injuries, with one person in serious condition. The disturbances erupted across Paris and surrounding areas late Wednesday night after the club secured its place in the final.
PSG, the tournament’s defending champions and home to several Portuguese stars including Vitinha, João Neves, Nuno Mendes, and Gonçalo Ramos, sealed their progression after a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich. The result gave them a 6-5 aggregate victory, following a historic 5-4 win in the first leg. They are now set to face Arsenal in the final in Budapest on May 30.
Read more about this topic: Champions League: PSG secure 2nd straight final berth (with video)
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez detailed that of the 127 total arrests, 107 took place within the city of Paris. The violence resulted in 11 civilians being injured, including one individual in critical condition after being struck by a firework mortar. Additionally, 23 police officers sustained minor injuries during the clashes with fans.
Minister Nuñez condemned the violence “in the strongest possible terms,” vowing that security forces will maintain “the same firmness” and conduct “systematic operations” to prevent similar scenes during the final later this month. He also expressed concerns regarding the Paris Mayor’s “unilateral” announcement of a fan zone for the final, stating that the location must be thoroughly vetted by security authorities before being approved.
