Arsenal Fans Disappointed By Defeat, Relieved They Don't Have To Clean Up Paris
Arsenal supporters who travelled to Paris for the Champions League final reported that losing hurt considerably less than discovering they wouldn't be responsible for firefighting duties afterwards. One London fan named Richard said simply: "We lost. Fair play to PSG. But bloody hell, I'm glad we're not the ones explaining to the city why we've incinerated half the infrastructure."
His sentiment was broadly shared across the Arsenal contingent, most of whom were back in London by Thursday morning, sad but unsinged.
The Silver Lining Of Defeat
Arsenal didn't triumph, but neither did they participate in what fire officials described as an evening of creative urban combustion. The team flew back to London with their dignity intact, which is cold comfort, but at least dignity doesn't require firefighting equipment.
There's considerable history here with Arsenal and how they handle post-match emotions. Their own parade culture tells you a lot about the difference between British and French approaches to football feeling: Arsenal's parade: one nation processes defeat with queuing, the other with kerosene.
The Pyromaniac Alternative Arsenal Happily Avoided
Had Arsenal won, they'd have returned to London expecting celebration. Instead, they returned grief-stricken but not arsonist. One supporter's post read simply: "We lost and I've never been more at peace with it." That sentence makes complete sense when the alternative is standing in a burning city.
For context on just how dramatically the Parisian celebration style diverges from basic civic norms, the historical comparison practically writes itself: Paris re-enacting the Bastille: history not so much repeating as doing laps.
Auf Wiedersehen, amigo!
Sources:
https://prat.uk/arsenals-parade/
https://prat.uk/paris-reenacting-fall-of-the-bastille/