Shot on film with raw intimacy and grain, French photographer Guirec Munier captures a historic Parisian night steeped in emotion, smoke, and long-awaited triumph. On May 7th, Paris Saint-Germain finally exorcised the ghosts of their European past, eliminating Arsenal to reach the Champions League final. In a city grown indifferent to domestic dominance, this was the night when the dream flickered back to life. From the tifo at kickoff to the anarchic celebrations that surged through the capital, Munier’s lens immerses us in a fever dream of flares, chants, and decades of pent-up hope unleashed in the streets of Paris.

Words by Guirec Munier.

Frustrated by too many European disappointments, Paris Saint-Germain and its supporters had only one desire on May 7th: to overcome the hoodoo by eliminating Arsenal. The state-owned club’s disappointments against Barcelona, Man United, and Dortmund still haunt Parisians. After a controlled first leg, PSG is just one step away from exorcising its old demons.

Hegemonic in Ligue 1, regular winners of the Coupe de France, Paris Saint-Germain and its supporters are sated by the pile-up of domestic titles won since 2013. Such dominance that these triumphs are now celebrated with indifference. Only the Holy Grail, the sacrosanct Champions League, finds favor in the eyes of Parisians. It’s in this frame of mind that PSG supporters approach D-Day. A day where excitement and anxiety intertwine. A day punctuated by a dream or a nightmare.

As the hours tick by, Paris Saint-Germain jerseys bloom all over Paris. Around the Parc des Princes, the café terraces fill with supporters of both sides. With or without tickets, regulars in the Auteuil stand begin to gather a few hundred meters from the iconic concrete structure, clapping their hands, shouting their hearts out, and letting off flares. The atmosphere of a big night is truly present.

Ten minutes before kickoff, the Collectif Ultras Paris unveils its tifo spanning three stands. Made by 400 members of the CUP, the main element of the triptych covers the entire Auteuil stand and represents iconic moments in PSG’s history. Enough to further ridicule the cannon suspended in the North Bank of the Emirates Stadium in the first leg. After kickoff, Paris Saint-Germain literally adopted the Latin motto of the city of Paris during the opening moments of the game: Fluctuat nec mergitur (She is rocked by the waves, but does not sink). Then, as the minutes ticked by, the team shaped by Luis Enrique fully grasped the scale of the event and left only crumbs for the Gunners. The ‘It’s all about me’ era was over; PSG is now a real team and this new dynamic once again unites the club with its supporters.

Then, as soon as the final whistle blew, a joyous chaos took hold of the capital. From the Parc des Princes to the Champs-Élysées, via Porte Molitor, the Parisian people were filled with joy. Flares, fireworks, roaring engines, honking horns, bus shelters and street lights climbed by the most daring supporters—the outpourings overflow with joy and pride. Even DJ Snake spontaneously joined the party by hopping off a motorcycle taxi. Unreal.

The day of glory has finally arrived! Not yet. We’ll have to wait until May 31 for the tears of joy shed at the Parc de Princes by many forty-year-olds who have experienced past hardships and battles to transform into torrents of elation.

Paris Saint-Germain will now face Inter Milan in a blockbuster Champions League final at Munich’s Allianz Arena — Enrique vs. Inzaghi, a tactical showdown that could finally see the French giants achieve their long-awaited European destiny.

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