PSG fans raise the roof as triumphant players hold aloft Champions League trophy

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain players walked into a wall of noise at their home stadium on Sunday and brandished aloft the Champions League trophy that their fans have waited so long to savor.

Coach Luis Enrique, the architect of PSG's astonishing 5-0 destruction of Inter Milan in Munich on Saturday night, received a huge ovation at Parc des Princes, as did the influential Ousmane Dembélé and his teammates when they came onto the field one by one.

Their faces were shown on a giant screen and, when Dembélé's face was displayed, fans inside the 49,000-capacity stadium broke out into chants of “Dembélé, Ballon d'Or” in the hope he wins the most coveted individual award in world soccer.

But the loudest cheer of the night was for long-serving captain Marquinhos, who walked with club president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi alongside him and with the Champions League trophy between them.

Al-Khelaïfi and Dembélé were both tossed into the air by PSG's players, who then did a lap of honor after the greatest success in the club's 55-year history.

PSG had earlier Sunday put on an open-top bus parade in the French capital for its fans.

The winners of European club soccer’s biggest prize arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon and headed to France's most famous avenue, the Champs-Élysées, which overnight Saturday saw acts of violence and clashes with riot police.

Thousands of police were deployed Sunday to keep order with similar tactics to those used on Saturday night, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told reporters.

PSG fans waved blue and red as they waited for the team bus to arrive at shortly after 5 p.m. When the parade started, the atmosphere was calm as fans stood behind barriers with riot police in front of them.

Fans roared when Marquinhos brandished the trophy over his head, then passed it down to other players on the bus. Luis Enrique joined in with the fans as they sang one of the club’s anthems, and Dembélé blew kisses. The team later met with French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron at the Élysée Palace, with players wearing club tracksuits and PSG jerseys.

After leaving the palace, the players arrived at the Parc des Princes, for a concert, light show and presentation of the trophy. Fans sang “Champions d'Europe” (Champions of Europe) as they waited for the ceremony.

Former club stalwarts like winger Jérôme Rothen and right back Bernard Mendy warmed up the crowd. Rothen made a joke about PSG becoming the first French side to win two European trophies — a wry dig at bitter rival Marseille, which from 1993 until Saturday night was the only French club to win the Champions League and reminded PSG about it every year with a slogan saying “À jamais les premiers” (Forever the first).

Only PSG and Marseille, which was also runner-up in 1991, have won the Champions League. Monaco in 2004 and PSG in 2020 reached the final. PSG won the now-defunct European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1996 — hence Rothen's reference.

The exuberance on display in most places was overshadowed by the deaths of two people and some 200 injuries during Saturday night's celebrations. A total of 294 arrests had been made overnight and two cars were set alight close to Parc des Princes, which had shown the game live.

The overnight fatalities marred a night of exuberance after PSG clinched its first — and long-awaited — Champions League title. The Eiffel Tower glowed in team colors and fans partied through the night.

PSG denounced the violence. “These isolated acts are contrary to the club's values, and don't at all represent the immense majority of our fans," PSG said in a statement.

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 PSG street party after the final, the national police service said. The regional prosecutor said the killing was not apparently linked to the match. In Paris, a man in his 20s was killed in Paris when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations.

A police officer was hit accidentally by fireworks at a PSG gathering in northwest France and placed in an artificial coma because of grave eye injuries.

A total of 201 people were injured around the capital, four of them seriously, the Paris police said. AP reporters saw tear gas used near the stadium and water cannons used near the Arc de Triomphe to disperse rowdy crowds.

But at the Place de la Bastille, joyous fans climbed onto the base of the famous column, singing, dancing and letting off flares, while those around them joined in.

Nunez blamed the scattered troubles on “thousands of people who came to commit acts of violence” instead of watching the match. He noted similar unrest on the sidelines of prior celebrations in the capital, such as after France’s World Cup win in 2018.

France had also paraded down the Champs-Élysées when it won the World Cup for the first time in 1998.

This time it was PSG's turn — at long last — and up to 110,000 people watched.

A wide swath of central Paris was closed to traffic for the exceptional day and security measures also impacted the French Open unfolding nearby.

Buses hoping to pick up fans at Roland-Garros were held up in congested traffic while fans rode past on scooters, honking their horns and waving flags.

Record 24-time men's Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic made the 10-minute walk from stadium to stadium, and smiled at the crowd when his face was beamed on screen.

But Sunday night belonged to the champions on the field.

Alex Turnbull and John Leicester contributed to this report.

Follow AP's soccer coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Paris Saint-Germain's midfielder Desire Doue celebrates with supporters during a ceremony to present the trophy a day after Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won the UEFA Champions League, at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris Sunday, June 1, 2025. (Franck Fife, Pool via AP)

PSG's team captain Marquinhos holds the trophy during a celebration at the Parc des Princes stadium after the team won the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

French President Emmanuel Macron, center left, his wife Brigitte Macron, pose with the PSG team after the team won the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan Sunday, June 1, 2025 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla, Pool)

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique, right, and PSG owner Nasser bin Ghanim Al-Khelaifi, center, attend a parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue after the team won the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PSG players present the trophy to supporters during a parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue after the team won the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PSG supporters invade the Champs-Elysees avenue, with de Arc de Triomphe in background, before a PSG players' parade after the team won the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PSG supporters invade the Champs-Elysees avenue after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

PSG's Marquinhos celebrates with the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Fireworks explode on the Champs-Elysees avenue after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Supporters celebrate a PSG goal outside a cafe during the the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, Saturday, May 31, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Soccer fans celebrate PSG's victory on the Champs-Elysees avenue, with the Arc de Triomphe in background, after the Champions League final soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)