In Budapest, Paris Saint-Germain secured their place among Europe’s dynasties, beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to become only the second club this century to retain the Champions League. Yet within hours of the final whistle, the triumph was eclipsed by images of burning cars and riot police on the Champs-Élysées. What should have been a night of sporting history descended into a nationwide wave of violence that left France counting the cost of its own celebrations.

On the pitch, Luis Enrique’s meticulous project reached its zenith. The Spanish coach joined the elite club of managers with three European Cups, his team dominating possession with 75% and forcing Arsenal into a defensive shell. Viewed from London, the defeat cut deep: Arsenal had arrived in Budapest unbeaten in the competition, only to relive the trauma of their 2006 final loss. Thierry Henry, a loser that night against Barcelona, again watched his old club fall at the last. Mikel Arteta conceded PSG were “the best team in the world”, his pain palpable as he questioned referee Daniel Siebert’s refusal of a late penalty. Declan Rice, defiant, insisted “this is only the start” for a youthful side that had already reclaimed the Premier League.

Amid the heartbreak, a moment of humanity flickered. When Gabriel Magalhães blazed Arsenal’s fifth penalty over the bar, his Brazilian teammate Marquinhos ignored PSG’s jubilation to embrace the distraught defender – a gesture that travelled far beyond Budapest. For all the tactical chess, such compassion underscored the cruelty of the shootout lottery.

Back in France, however, the mood had already turned ugly. Despite a deployment of 22,000 police, roving groups set alight vehicles and shopfronts, fired rockets at officers, and attempted to storm a police station in the capital’s eighth arrondissement. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported 219 injured, including 57 security forces, and 780 arrests – a 30% rise on the unrest that followed PSG’s maiden triumph a year earlier. A 24-year-old motorcyclist died after crashing into a concrete block on the Paris ring road, and a teenager remained critical with stab wounds. The violence, which spread to at least fifteen cities, drew cross-party condemnation, with local mayors demanding a ban on mass gatherings in central Paris.

Looking forward, PSG president Nasser Al‑Khelaifi immediately targeted a three-peat, while Enrique’s contract extension quashed Liverpool’s reported interest. Arsenal, for all their domestic swagger, must now prove they can return to the European summit – a journey that has swallowed many promising sides. But the real challenge may lie with the French state: for the second May in succession, a footballing triumph has become a crucible for deep-seated public disorder. As the team paraded the trophy beneath the Eiffel Tower, the embers on the boulevards were still smouldering.