The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has harshly censured the serious disturbances recorded on Saturday in Paris during the celebrations for the Champions League title won by Paris Saint Germain, incidents that have left more than 450 detainees.
"We no longer want to see this. It's over. We're fed up. It's finished," Macron declared, condemning the violence unleashed during the official reception for the Parisian team at the Élysée Palace, after previously offering a warm welcome to the champion squad.
The head of state denounced the "unacceptable scenes of violence that occurred last night and for a good part of the night in Paris and other French cities." "Nobody wants us to get used to this," he added, emphasizing his rejection of such episodes becoming normalized.
In his speech, he stressed that "this is not football. This is not sport. This is not what we love. Thanks to our police and gendarmes, we will be relentless with those who have been arrested," making it clear that the government will apply maximum firmness against those responsible for the riots.
Macron reiterated his gratitude to the security forces for their actions "in the face of this terrible situation." "I think of the shopkeepers and the victims. This is not the sport, this is not the football that we love. We will be inflexible. Enough is enough! We are fed up!", he insisted, mentioning both the affected businesses and the people harmed by the excesses.
On the sporting front, the president wanted to highlight the Parisian club's achievement: "Bravo to the coaching staff, to each of the players. This PSG is a formidable team. Without a doubt, after this double: it is the best team in Europe. All of France is proud. What a team!", he affirmed, praising the French team's feat.
For his part, the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Núñez, specified that 780 people were arrested during the celebrations, an increase of 32 percent compared to the previous year. Of that total, 457 were ultimately detained and 57 police officers and gendarmes were injured in the incidents.