One hundred and twenty seven people were arrested in France’s capital after Paris-Saint Germain reached the Champions League final, the nation’s interior minister Laurent Nunez said.
The semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich on Wednesday took place at the Allianz Arena in Germany. After a 1-1 draw was enough to knock the German side out on aggregate, thousands of PSG fans took to the streets in Paris with flags, flares and fireworks.
Nunez told national radio, via Le Monde that “127 were arrested in the Paris area, including 107 in Paris”. “Eleven people were injured, including one seriously with a firework. We won’t tolerate unrest,” he said.
The 62-year-old added that 23 officers also sustained minor injuries.
PSG made their second successive Champions League final on Wednesday night (Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP via Getty Images)
PSG took an early lead on Wednesday night when Ousmane Dembele scored after only three minutes to take the aggregate score at 6-4. A stoppage-time goal from Bayern forward Harry Kane was not enough to keep the German champions in the competition and the French side advanced to their second successive Champions League final.
France has had problems with policing football matches in the past. After the 2022 final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at the Stade de France, just north of Paris, an independent report found that the police “failed in its duty to protect people” where the use of tear gas was “absolutely not necessary or appropriate in the circumstances”.
More recently, Newcastle United alleged that French police in Marseille used “unnecessary and disproportionate force” against their fans and said they would file formal complaint to them.
PSG will attempt to defend their Champions League title against Arsenal in the final on May 30 in Budapest, Hungary.
