Champions League: "This time, we did it in front of our fans"... Fireworks of emotion in Paris after qualifying for the final

PSG qualified for the Champions League final at the expense of Arsenal on Wednesday after a 2-1 victory at the Parc des Princes (3-1 aggregate score).

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Fireworks at the Parc des Princes and throughout Paris, a veritable explosion of joy and color in the capital. And a very emotional expression on the face of captain Marquinhos. The celebrations were in full swing on Wednesday, May 7, after PSG's qualification against Arsenal (3-1 aggregate score) for the Champions League final, the trophy the Parisian club has coveted since the beginning of the Qatari era.

The lackluster qualification for the final in Lisbon, behind closed doors due to Covid-19, in 2020, is forgotten. This time, PSG fans were able to celebrate, and they did not hold back, as president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi made sure to point out in the mixed zone after the match: "We can celebrate tonight. This time we did it in front of our fans, which wasn't the case last time. It's magnificent."

Already, from the kickoff, Paris led 1-0 on atmosphere, with a tifo concocted by its ultras, retracing the history of the capital, and covering three stands of the Parc des Princes, while fireworks and red and blue smoke rose into the sky of the 16th arrondissement. A tifo much more impressive than the simple white cannon on a red background, quite small and planned by the Arsenal club, for the first leg.

1-0 before kick-off for PSG.

Auteuil is going all out with a tifo retracing some of the club's great history. It's something else than the one at the Emirates 🔴🔵 #PSGARS pic.twitter.com/1lQsgtGrJ7

In the stands, the Parisian supporters continued to raise their voices to encourage their team not to give in to the Gunners' onslaught, and understandably chanted Donnarumma's name, still imperious, after his multiple saves. Unusually, the two corners even sometimes responded to each other. A far cry from the cathedral-like atmosphere of the Emirates Stadium a week earlier, despite Mikel Arteta's call to make some noise for his team. This was a disadvantage of the English stands, where the hunt for hooligans also kept the most fervent supporters away, preventing them from forming groups to shout out loud in unison.

"It's incredible, you can see the atmosphere, the fans are happy ," said a delighted Achraf Hakimi after the match on Canal+. " We've worked hard for this moment. We're a team, a family, we deserve this victory . " "It's a lot of emotion, too much, way too much energy," smiled Luis Enrique, who was exhausted by the match but gave himself a nice birthday present on the eve of his 55th birthday. The Parisian coach also acknowledged that his players had "suffered a lot" against the Londoners.

"Tonight was a great way to give back to the fans for everything they've given us. The club deserves it, the fans have deserved it for a very long time."

Luis Enrique, PSG coach

in the post-match press conference

But the most emotional person on Wednesday evening was certainly captain Marquinhos, who arrived at the club at the age of 19 in 2013 and has experienced everything with PSG, including many disappointments in the Champions League. "I think that these experiences are scars in a player's history. And this experience makes you grow. You always have to keep the positive side. I'm happy to be here and to make the most of it ," he said on Canal+.

The Brazilian is now ready to guide his team to a title so desired since the club was bought by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011, and which PSG narrowly missed out on in 2020, losing in the final against Bayern. "I lost a final, I know how it hurts," he recalls, " so I'm going to try to transmit good vibes to my teammates." The celebration could be even better, since a fan zone will be set up in Paris for the occasion, with scenes of jubilation and new explosions of joy and fireworks to be anticipated in the event of victory.