Tear gas and 39 arrests in Paris as PSG fans clash with police during Champions League final

French riot police used tear gas and baton charges against PSG supporters in central Paris on Saturday as disorder broke out across the city during the Champions League final against Arsenal in Budapest. Thirty-nine people were arrested and around 1,600 were stopped and searched, with weapons and fireworks among the items confiscated by officers.

The worst trouble was concentrated in the Châtelet area, between Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre, where large crowds had gathered to watch the game on screens outside bars and cafés in sweltering heat. “The trouble started as soon as Arsenal went one-nil up,” one onlooker said. “Chairs and bottles were thrown at the police, who then moved in to make arrests.”

Kai Havertz had given Arsenal the lead in Budapest after just five minutes, and footage shared on social media showed fans near the Parc des Princes stadium scattering as police moved in. Reports indicated supporters had aimed fireworks at officers before tear gas was deployed in response.

Further skirmishes broke out later in the evening, including near the Rue de Rivoli, where some PSG fans climbed scaffolding on a building before officers intervened. Some cafés turning off their televisions also prompted fresh confrontations.

Some 5,000 police and gendarmes had been deployed across Paris ahead of the final. Despite the heavy presence, violence spread to multiple parts of the capital as the match progressed.

The scenes echo disorder from the previous year, when PSG beat Arsenal to reach the final and rioting broke out in Paris and other parts of France. That campaign’s conclusion was even more severe: PSG’s title victory was followed by two deaths and around 500 arrests in post-match unrest. A car also ploughed into a group of fans near the Champs-Élysées during those disturbances.

French authorities have repeatedly flagged football-related violence as a growing concern. Forty-three people were arrested during the semi-final clash between the same two clubs a year earlier, underlining a pattern of disorder tied to high-stakes PSG matches.