The joy of Paris Saint-Germain’s second consecutive Champions League final appearance was overshadowed by a wave of street violence that swept through the French capital late on Wednesday. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that 127 people were arrested across the greater Paris region — 107 of them within the city itself — as thousands of fans poured onto the streets following PSG’s 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, a result that secured a 6-5 aggregate victory and a place in the 30 May final in Budapest. Eleven civilians were injured, one seriously, and 23 police officers suffered minor injuries in clashes that lasted into the early hours.

The scenes of unrest unfolded at multiple locations, most notably around the Parc des Princes stadium and along the Champs-Élysées, a boulevard where public gatherings had previously been banned. Crowds set off firecrackers, mortars and smoke bombs, while police responded with tear gas to disperse the more aggressive elements. Video footage captured a group of a dozen individuals attacking a car and its driver on the Place de la Concorde, underscoring the volatility of the night. By Thursday morning, the Paris prosecutor’s office reported that 95 people remained in police custody.

Viewed from Berlin, the disturbances were a stark contrast to the disciplined atmosphere inside the Allianz Arena, where the match had been played. German media focused on the hooliganism that has periodically marred PSG celebrations, recalling similar riots in 2020 after the club’s first Champions League triumph. French authorities, for their part, condemned the violence while acknowledging that most of the hundreds of thousands of fans had celebrated peacefully. Nuñez, speaking on Europe 1 radio, described the arrests as a necessary measure to prevent a repeat of the looting and vandalism that scarred previous title parties.

Analysts in London note that the twin pressures of post-pandemic social tension and the high emotional stakes of elite football create a volatile mix. With the final now set for Budapest, security planners across Europe will be watching closely. The French government has already signalled a zero-tolerance approach to future disturbances, but the deeper question — of how to channel collective sporting euphoria without descending into disorder — remains unresolved. For PSG, the road to the final was hard-fought; for Paris, the aftermath has left a bitter residue.