Paris Saint-Germain won its second Champions League title Saturday, beating Arsenal on penalties in a dramatic final held in Budapest, Hungary. The victory set off celebrations across Paris, but those celebrations turned violent in several locations before the night was over.
According to ABC News, around 20,000 people gathered on the Champs-Elysees after the final whistle. Fans marched along avenues near the Arc de Triomphe, setting off flares and blaring car horns. But the Paris police prefecture said smaller groups caused disturbances in various locations, vandalizing shops and setting fires. One police officer was injured. A group attempted to storm a police station in the 8th Arrondissement neighborhood before being dispersed. By 10 p.m., 45 people had been taken into custody.
Officers also contained roughly 1,000 people gathered near the PSG stadium in the 16th Arrondissement and cleared barricades made from bicycles. The main ring road surrounding Paris was briefly blockaded by a crowd before police intervened. One bakery and a restaurant were damaged. Last May, when police made more than 500 arrests across France following PSG's first Champions League title, Paris had deployed 8,000 police officers across the city.
On the field, Arsenal had been unbeaten in the Champions League all season heading into the final. The Gunners produced what BBC Sport described as a battling display, but PSG dominated possession, holding 75% of the ball. The match went to a penalty shootout, where Arsenal center-back Gabriel missed the decisive kick, skying his attempt over the bar.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke to reporters after the loss. "Pain," was the first word he used when asked to sum up the result. "It is very tough to accept when you are so consistent all the way to the final and in the end you lose the trophy on penalties," he said. Arteta also raised the issue of a second-half incident where Arsenal were not awarded a penalty. "I watched all the penalties in the competition in the last 72 hours to understand what a penalty is and what is not, and that easily can be a penalty," he said.
Despite the defeat, Arsenal had already secured the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years. On Sunday, the club was scheduled to hold an open-top bus parade to celebrate that achievement, less than 24 hours after the loss in Budapest.
Arteta made clear he is already thinking about next season. "We'll start to make some very important decisions if we want to reach another level," he said. "And we're going to have to show that ambition because we are more than capable of doing it, but it's going to demand us to be very ambitious, very fast and very smart." Arsenal spent around 250 million pounds in last summer's transfer window and are expected to invest again, with a midfielder, left winger, and striker among their targets.
Former player Nedum Onouha, speaking to BBC Sport, offered a straightforward assessment of what comes next. "They are 100% not going away," he said.
