George Clooney Jokes He's 'Proud' of Thieves Who Robbed Louvre

George Clooney's tipping his cap to the robbers who shook down the Louvre in Paris ... showing respect from one professional thief to another.

The actor spoke to Variety at AFI Fest earlier this week ... and, the he talked about the thieves who pulled a fast one on the iconic French museum -- with Clooney even expressing a joking pride.

Clooney said, "If you’re a professional thief like I am, I was very proud of those guys."

It's all one big gag -- Clooney also calls the theft "terrible" while expressing shock at the robbers' brazen actions -- but, it certainly conjured up questions about the upcoming "Ocean's 14."

George, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and the whole crew are getting back together for another daring onscreen heist -- and George also said  they should consider robbing the Louvre since everyone else seems to be doing it.

ICYMI ... the Louvre closed after a major heist last weekend that led to thieves walking away with 9 pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and Empress Eugénie -- a loot of inestimable value. Eugénie's crown was found broken outside the museum.

Video later came out showing a robber sawing through a glass case in the museum, and the museum's director -- Laurence des Cars -- offered to resign in the aftermath ... though the offer was ultimately rejected.