More violence disrupts PSG’s Champions League celebrations

By Associated Press Reporters

Authorities have detained another 79 people as violence continued to disrupt Paris Saint-Germain’s celebrations of their historic Champions League victory, police in the French capital said.

After more than 100,000 people welcomed the return of PSG players to Paris after their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final on Saturday, a second night of scattered incidents ensued.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told RTL radio that groups gathered close to the Parc des Princes stadium and on the Champs-Elysees after midnight, causing trouble.

He said some used barriers to block the main ring road surrounding Paris for a while, and other troublemakers set off fireworks and tried to vandalise shops.

Mr Nunez said calm was restored at 3.30am on Monday.

PSG had earlier staged an open-top bus parade in the city for its fans. The winners of European club football’s biggest prize arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon and headed to France’s most famous avenue, the Champs-Elysees, which saw violence and clashes with riot police overnight on Saturday.

Police made more than 500 arrests across France on Saturday night.

“The overall number of arrests is very high, it is completely unprecedented,” Mr Nunez said.

Celebrations were largely peaceful but degenerated into violence in some areas.

A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the western city of Dax during a street party after the final, police said, and a man in his 20s was killed in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car.