Injuries and two deaths: The tragedy behind PSG’s Champions League celebration

Two people have died and nearly 200 have been injured—including a police officer currently in a coma—following massive nationwide celebrations in France on Saturday night, sparked by Paris Saint-Germain’s historic first-ever UEFA Champions League title.

Despite the unrest, PSG will proceed with a celebratory parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The team will meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace at 2 PM (local time) after beginning festivities at 11 AM. The day will conclude with a ceremony at the Parc des Princes stadium.

Chaos across the country

French authorities have reported at least 192 injuries and 692 fires, including 264 vehicle fires, during Saturday night’s celebrations. Among the injured are 22 police officers and seven firefighters. In Coutances (northern France), a police officer was placed in an induced coma after being struck by a firework. According to Le Figaro, the officer was transported to a hospital in Caen.

In Paris’ 15th district, a young man (initially misreported as a woman) was killed in a scooter crash near PSG’s stadium. Additionally, a 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in the chest under unclear circumstances in the southwestern town of Dax. Sud Ouest reported that it remains uncertain whether the victim was a PSG supporter. The Bayonne judicial police are investigating.

In Grenoble, 500 kilometers southeast of Paris, a car drove into a crowd early Sunday morning, seriously injuring two members of the same family and leaving two others hurt.

Paris, the epicenter of the celebrations, saw around 500 people arrested amid clashes with police, property damage, and store looting, despite the deployment of 5,000 law enforcement personnel.

High security and symbolic tributes

For Sunday’s victory parade, authorities capped attendance at 110,000 fans on the Champs-Élysées. Access to the celebration at Parc des Princes will be limited, with club members given priority.

Much of central Paris will be closed to vehicle traffic, and several nearby Metro stations will be shut down. Notably, Metro Line 3 has renamed the “Europe” station as “Champions of Europe” in a symbolic tribute to PSG’s victory.