A night of celebration in the French capital descended into chaos on Sunday as clashes between jubilant PSG fans and riot police resulted in nearly 900 arrests, raising fresh questions about the authorities’ ability to control football-related disorder.
France’s interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, announced on Monday morning that street unrest accompanying Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory on May 30 had led to 890 arrests.
According to Nuñez, this marks a 45% increase compared with 2025, when football fans also rioted following PSG’s Champions League triumph.
“We knew this event would trigger disorder, which is why we took extraordinary measures with extremely strict instructions. Steps were taken constantly to put an end to these outrages,” the minister stressed. He also added: “If so many people were detained, it means the work was carried out properly.”
When asked why the authorities had been unable to prevent the rioting and looting, the interior minister said the task was complex, as large, organised groups tend to exploit such celebrations “to cause damage and commit theft.”
Nuñez also reported that 178 police officers and gendarmes had been injured during the operations.
As of Monday morning, 260 people remain in custody in Paris, chiefly for violence against public officials, theft, vandalism, and gathering with intent to commit crimes.
