France detains 416 people after PSG’s Champions League win sparks riots and clashes with police across multiple cities.

PARIS: Hundreds of people were detained across France following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory over Arsenal, as celebrations in several cities turned into unrest, reported German news agency dpa.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 416 people had been detained nationwide, including 283 in the Paris metropolitan area.

“There were celebratory gatherings accompanied by a series of riots, which was in line with the situation we had anticipated,” Nuñez said. He described the riots as “absolutely unacceptable.”

Official figures showed that seven police officers were injured in incidents reported in around 15 cities.

In Paris, the situation was particularly tense around the Champs-Élysées boulevard, where thousands of people gathered after the match. Masked individuals clashed with security forces, with projectiles thrown and tear gas deployed.

Videos circulating on social media showed burning vehicles, barricades being erected and fireworks directed at people.

Fans gathered to watch PSG defeat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties on a big screen in the Parc des Princes stadium, which French media reported was almost completely full.

Some 22,000 police officers were on duty across France, including around 8,000 in the capital.

The scenes were reminiscent of the riots that broke out after PSG’s Champions League victory last year, when two people were killed, nearly 200 injured and 559 detained. Authorities also recorded nearly 700 fires, with many cars set alight.

 The Sun Malaysia