PSG celebrates historic Champions League win as violence erupts in Paris

Ultimately, a fatal accident occurred. Following Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) thrilling first win in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), violence erupted in Paris, France.

British 'Sky Sports' reported on the 1st (KST), "PSG won the Champions League. Two people have died and hundreds have been arrested across France after the final."

The media stated, "After the match, approximately 5,400 police were deployed throughout Paris. Officers used tear gas and pepper spray on the Champs-Élysées. Chaos ensued, resulting in two deaths and one police officer in a coma. The number of those arrested reached 560. The Ministry of National Defense also noted that there were 264 vehicle damages, 192 injuries, and 692 fires reported."

On the same day, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) triumphed 5-0 against Inter Milan in the UCL final held at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany for the 2024-2025 season.

Thus, PSG achieved its dream by winning the big ears (UCL trophy) for the first time in 55 years since its establishment in 1970. Following victories in Ligue 1, Trophee des Champions, and Coupe de France, they accomplished a historic quadruple.

It was a one-sided match. PSG took the lead with Achraf Hakimi's opening goal after just 12 minutes, assisted perfectly by Désiré Doué. Then, in the 20th minute of the first half, Doué’s shot, following a pass from Dembélé, deflected off the defense and led to an additional goal.

There was no reversal in the second half either. Instead, PSG widened the score margin to five goals with consecutive goals from Doué, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Sénne Malulu, thus defeating Inter. Lee Kang-in remained on the bench throughout, but the match concluded with PSG's historic 5-0 victory.

However, Lee Kang-in regrettably stayed on the PSG bench until the end. Coach Luis Enrique used all five substitution cards, but chose 2006-born prospect Malulu instead of Lee. This repeated the trend of Lee being completely sidelined in competition for starting positions.

Nonetheless, Lee Kang-in was still a proud member of PSG's victory. Although he did not play much during this season's UCL tournament, he contributed by appearing in 11 matches, including the group stage. He celebrated the honor of the team's victory alongside the players. After receiving his winner's medal, Lee stood next to captain Marquinhos on the podium and roared.

However, incidents occurred in the aftermath of the match in Paris, France. Celebrations were held on the streets throughout the city, and a large screen was set up at the Parc des Princes, PSG's home ground. Naturally, numerous fans gathered to cheer for PSG's first victory in the club's history. Paris authorities had reinforced security by deploying police out of concern for possible outbreaks of violence.

Dembélé also urged fans to remain calm in an interview with 'Canal Plus' after the match. He said, "Let's celebrate the victory without destroying everything in Paris."

Yet, the feared incidents transpired. According to the French National Police Agency, in the city of Dax, a 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the street, and in Paris, a man died after being hit by a car while riding a scooter during the celebration. In northwest France, an officer accidentally injured his eyes seriously with fireworks and fell into an artificial coma.

Sky Sports reported, "491 people were arrested in Paris alone due to the clashes, and 559 were arrested nationwide in France, with 320 detained by the police. Of those, 254 were detained in Paris," adding, "The Ministry of the Interior stated that 22 security personnel were injured amid the chaos, seven of whom were firefighters."

British 'BBC' explained, "Most fans celebrated the victory peacefully, singing and dancing in the streets or honking car horns. However, there were flare-ups of firecrackers, destruction at bus stops, and some cars caught on fire. It was chaotic."

The French police stated, "Troublemakers on the Champs-Élysées were trying to cause incidents. They fired large fireworks and threw other objects, clashing violently with the police." Videos showing crowds attempting to vandalize and invade stores on the street were shared on social media.

Ultimately, the police had to deploy water cannons and tear gas to prevent crowds from thronging around the Arc de Triomphe. Nevertheless, at least two vehicles near the stadium were engulfed in flames, and thousands of fans struggled to control themselves on the grass at Parc des Princes.

Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior of France, pointed out, "True PSG supporters enjoyed the team's wonderful performance. However, some barbarians went out into the streets of Paris to commit crimes and provoke the police."

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