Scores arrested as PSG fans clash with police after Champions League final defeat

Issued on: 24/08/2020 - 04:59

Around 5,000 supporters had gathered at Paris's Parc des Princes stadium to cheer on PSG, lighting flares and chanting as they watched the 1-0 defeat in Lisbon on a big screen.

After scuffles at the ground, late-night clashes erupted on the Champs-Élysées, where vehicles were set on fire, windows broken and shops vandalised.

Police said 148 people were arrested "in particular for damage, violence or throwing projectiles".

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said 16 police were injured, 12 shops attacked and about 15 vehicles damaged overnight.

In a tweet on Sunday night, he condemned the "unacceptable" violence and thanked the police who arrested "small violent groups, troublemakers".

Despite Champions League defeat, 'a new era can start now for Paris Saint-Germain'

Social distancing measures were ignored inside and outside the Parc des Princes among fans who had hoped to see their Qatar-owned team's first triumph in Europe's top club competition.

Police said 404 people were  stopped for not wearing face masks as part of regulations aimed at curbing the coronavirus outbreak.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had earlier called for "mature celebrations" should PSG beat Bayern, after supporters clashed with police following their 3-0 win over RB Leipzig in the semi-finals.

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But at the final whistle on Sunday, dejected fans were left to rue a missed opportunity as PSG's dream of Champions League glory faded away.

"I'm gutted! They wasted too many chances and unfortunately in the final that just doesn't fly," said Nicolas Mounier as he left the stadium peacefully.

"We are disappointed but we weren't dreadful," another PSG fan, Anne Vaneson, told AFP. 

"In the first half, we were on a level playing field but we paid for a dip in performance in the first 20 minutes of the second half."

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)