President Emmanuel Macron condemns ‘unacceptable’ violence during PSG’s Champions League celebrations

PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron condemned on June 1

“unacceptable” violence during celebrations

following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory, as he welcomed the triumphant team to the Elysee Palace.

“Nothing can justify what has happened in the last few hours, the violent clashes are unacceptable,” Mr Macron said.

“We will pursue, we will punish, we will be relentless,” he added, before congratulating the players on their win.

Two people died and police made nearly 600 arrests across France overnight as fans

celebrated PSG’s 5-0 triumph

over Inter Milan in Munich on May 31.

“The violent clashes that took place are unacceptable and have come at a heavy cost: Two people are dead, around 30 police officers and several firefighters have been injured,” Mr Macron said.

“My thoughts are also with the police officer in Coutances who is currently in a coma,” he added, referring to the town in western France where the officer was struck in the eye by a firework.

French authorities detained 79 people in the second such wave of arrests during celebrations following the Champions League win, the police said on June 2.

On June 1, “we saw a resurgence of individuals driven by malicious intent who were not really PSG supporters”, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told RTL radio.

“We arrested 79 people, some of them in the night,” he said, adding that order had been restored before dawn.

Some were detained over taking barriers and briefly blocking the ring road around Paris, while others had tried to vandalise businesses or fired fireworks on the Champs-Elysees, he said.

Mr Macron hosted PSG coach Luis Enrique and his team after their victory parade on the Champs-Elysees, thanking the players for their quick condemnation of the violence.

“These isolated acts are contrary to the club’s values and in no way represent the vast majority of our supporters, whose exemplary behaviour throughout the season deserves to be commended,” the club said June 1.

Mr Macron also congratulated the team for their “sublime” victory over Inter Milan.

“You are the champions and you have put Paris at the top of Europe. There were 11 of you on the field, but there was clearly a 12th man – the entire French public, regardless of traditional allegiances,” he said, in a reference to his own loyalty to PSG’s rival Ligue I club Marseille.

It was the first time PSG have won the biggest prize in European club football.

Many of the stars of the team, one of the youngest in the competition, are drawn from the huge football talent pool in the Paris suburbs after PSG’s Qatari owners turned their back on the policy of signing star players like Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi.

A total of 11.5 million people tuned in across France to watch the match.

On June 1, PSG forward Ousmane Dembele was named Champions League Player of the Season by Uefa, after his turnaround season ended with him playing a big role in his side’s breakthrough victory.

His teenage teammate Desire Doue was named Champions League Young Player of the Season by European football’s governing body.

Dembele struggled early in the campaign, dropped by Enrique for a league phase game with Arsenal for disciplinary reasons, but the 28-year-old went on to score eight Champions League goals after his switch to a more central role.

While Dembele failed to find the net in the final at the Allianz Arena, he was singled out by his coach for his performance.

“I would give the Ballon d’Or to Ousmane Dembele,” Enrique said. “The way he defended tonight, just that alone could be worth the Ballon d’Or.

“That’s how you lead a team. Goals, trophies, leadership, defence, his pressing.”

The 19-year-old Doue wrapped up his impressive campaign by creating the opening goal in the final for Achraf Hakimi before scoring twice himself.

PSG had seven players named in the competition’s team of the season, while humbled finalists Inter had just one included. AFP, REUTERS