On May 31st, Paris-Saint-Germain crowned themselves European champions for the second time in a row, something that only 11 managers and 8 clubs have achieved, something remarkable and worth recognising.

As celebrations took place near the Eiffel Tower, the crowd filled the streets. The atmosphere at first was electric, with celebrations lasting long into the night as fans celebrated the club’s victory on the biggest stage in European football. However, the mood later shifted dramatically, as it seemed like a joyful celebration from the club’s fans, it soon turned into a mess with unrealistic scenes taking place all around Parc des Princes near the capital, where large crowds became a problem for officers to control, tensions escalated between the fans and the cops. French sources reports described damaged property, fires in the street, and clashes that forced emergency services to intervene. 

Police deployed additional security forces to restore order and protect businesses from what happened. The events sparked debate across France regarding crowd control and public safety during sporting events and celebrations. Public figures inside the sport gave their opinions to the public on these scenes, many of whom stated how disappointing this was from the fans, making the violent scenes be the talk about instead of the PSG triumph.  Comparing these celebrations to others, for example, the Arsenal fan celebrations after winning the Premier League, which is the most competitive league out of the ¨big five¨ leagues across Europe. The Gunners’ fanbase filled the streets of Islington with big parades, fireworks, music and some booze, but overall a great celebration to participate in, without any reports of violence being reported.

Despite the disorder and the mess that happened, PSG’s historic accomplishment remains undeniable and worth recognising. Winning the Champions League back-to-back definitely puts the club among Europe’s footballing elite.