O to boc chay va phao hoa duoc dot khi nguoi ham mo PSG an mung chuc vo dich Champions League tai Paris ngay 30/5. Canh sat co mat de giam sat tinh hinh. Anh: AP

The question of why France repeatedly witnesses riots after PSG’s championship wins, contrasting with London where Arsenal’s Premier League triumph saw no similar unrest, prompted a sharp reaction from Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.

"Just think for 5 seconds, is it really necessary to question the effectiveness of the police system? Is that the core issue?", he said on France Inter's Le 7/9 program on 1/6.

When asked to explain the "root cause" of last weekend's violence, the French Interior Minister suggested that some individuals exploit celebratory events for destruction and looting. "The root cause is that there are people who take advantage of the festive atmosphere to smash things and loot. That is the reality", he stated.

However, many argue that such answers have become a familiar response from the French government to years of ongoing unrest linked to PSG's victories. Officials have failed to explain the hundreds of arrests, dozens of injured police officers, and at least one fatality following PSG's Champions League final victory over Arsenal last weekend, signaling that the root causes remain unaddressed.

Mot chiec oto boc chay khi nguoi ham mo PSG an mung chuc vo dich Champions League tai Paris ngay 30/5. Anh: AP

Mot nguoi ham mo PSG cam phao sang. Anh: AP

Canh sat can thiep khi co dong vien PSG dot phao hoa. Anh: AP

Canh sat chong bao dong cam vu khi nghiep vu, trien khai tai hien truong noi xay ra dam chay va bao loan. Anh: AP

This is not the first time PSG's titles have led to street violence. In 2013, the team won Ligue 1 for the first time in 19 years. The celebration in Paris quickly descended into chaos as fans clashed with riot police. The incident left 30 people injured, including three police officers, and 21 were arrested.

At the time, PSG released a statement: "Today should have been a day of celebration for Paris. But the party was ruined by a few hundred troublemakers who had nothing to do with football".

Bernard Boucault, Paris police chief at the time, reported that it took about 800 police officers many hours to bring the situation under control after numerous shop windows and otos near the Champs-Elysees were vandalized.

Even former player David Beckham, then playing for PSG, required a security escort to leave as fans threw stones and other objects at police.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls later canceled the trophy ceremony planned for outside Paris City Hall, admitting that PSG faced serious issues with its fans. "Football remains sick, and PSG is an example", he said in 2013.

CDV PSG hon chien voi canh sat tai Paris.

Concerns about French police crowd control tactics continued to grow in subsequent years. Controversial events include: the match at Stade de France during the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks; Euro 2016, where Russian hooligans attacked English fans in Marseille; riots after PSG reached their first Champions League final in 2020; and French police criticism for using tear gas and strong measures against Liverpool fans in the 2022 Champions League final.

Last year, when PSG eliminated Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals and then defeated Inter Milan 5-0 in the final, many riots also occurred in Paris and other areas.

Observers note that while security forces were better prepared for the risk of chaos after last weekend's final, few signs indicate that deep-seated social causes have been identified and addressed over the past 12 months.

Following the latest incidents, many politicians and local leaders have spoken out. The mayor of Paris's 8th arrondissement, home to the Champs-Elysees where about 20,000 people gathered after PSG's victory, suggested that the only solution is to completely ban gatherings on this iconic street.

According to the district administration, the Champs-Elysees "is no longer a place for celebration but has become an urban battlefield". They argue that since organizing football festivities always leads to riots, "the only logical approach is not to allow gatherings".

Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right and a three-time presidential candidate, also criticized the situation. "Only in France does a football club's victory lead to riots", she wrote on X, stating that residents are forced to stay indoors whenever the team wins to avoid street violence.

Conversely, European MP Raphaël Glucksmann views the problem from a social perspective. "France is living in a state of tension. Society is becoming increasingly violent. We are like a pressure cooker that could explode at any moment", he said.

Henry Samuel, The Telegraph's resident correspondent in Paris for nearly three decades, believes the causes extend beyond football or fans. He noted that French police have long been criticized by human rights organizations, both domestic and international, for their tactics in suppressing protests and controlling crowds.

"Their handling of the Liverpool match and the Yellow Vest protests caused much controversy. Some people lost eyes or suffered serious injuries from rubber bullets. That is hardly acceptable in many other European countries", Samuel said.

However, he also acknowledged that French police face an exceptionally heavy workload, from terrorism and large-scale protests to sports events.

According to Samuel, PSG's recent success also attracts a large number of people from impoverished suburbs — areas with high unemployment rates and where many immigrant communities reside — who flock to the city center during festive occasions. "When there's a big event, especially a major football match, many people come into the center. They want to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere, but sometimes things get out of hand", he explained.

Le dieu hanh mung chuc vo dich Ngoai hang Anh cua Arsenal tai London ngay 31/5. Anh: Reuters

The contrast between Paris and London has many questioning the situation. Arsenal's Premier League title parade last weekend set a record with over 1.5 million attendees. However, police recorded only 24 arrests, with 10 cases related to assaulting public officials. No large-scale looting or vandalism occurred as it did in Paris.

"If Arsenal has much to learn from PSG on the pitch from their defeats against coach Luis Enrique's team, then conversely, France seems to have many lessons that can be drawn from England in how to manage real-world football celebrations", The Telegraph commented.

Hong Duy (according to The Telegraph)