The French government blames the “massive” ticket fraud and Liverpool’s handling of its fans for the public problems that affected Sunday’s Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Key points:
- The images show that fans who have tickets receive tear gas and are denied access to the stadium.
- UEFA, the governing body of European football, has announced an investigation into the matter
- The incident comes before France hosts the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games.
As the blame for the fiasco continued on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the scenes outside the national stadium, which included some fans, including children, who were gassed by French police as deeply annoying.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Liverpool had provided its fans with paper tickets, not electronic ones, which allowed for what he described as “massive fraud on an industrial scale”.
The minister alleged that more than two-thirds of the tickets submitted by some 62,000 Liverpool fans were fake.
“I want to say once again that the decisions taken prevented serious deaths or injuries,” Darmanin told reporters after holding an emergency meeting on Monday.
The match was delayed by more than 35 minutes as police tried to stop people trying to enter the national stadium without tickets. Some ticket holders complained that they were not allowed to enter.
Television footage showed images of a small number of young people, who did not appear to be wearing red Liverpool shirts, jumping out of the stadium doors and fleeing security to enter the match.
But images circulating on social media before and during the match showed thousands of ticket holders, including women and children, queuing for hours outside the Stade de France, with some tear gas by riot police as they tried to enter. on the ground.
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Several witnesses, including dozens of journalists in Paris for the match, said fans with tickets were left stranded by organizers, channeled into cramped spaces and forced to wait at doors abandoned by stadium staff.
The chaos was especially worrying for Liverpool fans who continue to suffer from the effects of the Hillsborough disaster, which saw 96 fans killed during a 1989 crush on the crowd.
Police, organizers and some major media outlets blamed fans for this tragedy, but a 2016 forensic report ruled that supporters were “illegally murdered” due to negligent failures by authorities.
UEFA said on Tuesday it had commissioned an independent report on events around Sunday’s final.
Fans and journalists lined up for hours outside the stadium, with some tear gas by authorities. (Getty Images: Matthias Hangst)
“The thorough review will examine the decision-making, responsibility and behavior of all the entities involved in the final,” UEFA said.
Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan said the club wanted a “transparent investigation” by the governing body, while revealing that the club was exploring legal avenues available to fans.
“We have followed in writing our request for an independent investigation with UEFA,” Hogan said.
“We have also noted our deep concern about the false information that is being circulated, while urging UEFA to accept an open and transparent investigation into everything that happened on Saturday night.
“I also read in the media this afternoon that this morning there was a meeting with the French authorities and UEFA, and a number of other stakeholders. However, we have not been asked for our input or that we send no information before the meeting.
“We are also reviewing the legal avenues available on behalf of affected followers.
“The Champions League final should be one of football ‘s best shows and it turned out to be one of the worst experiences of many fans’ lives.
“Therefore, I would say that all politicians and agencies involved in this event should wait until a full and independent investigation is concluded before attempting to shift the blame.”
A spokesman for the British Prime Minister said Johnson was very disappointed with the way Liverpool fans were treated in Paris.
“The images of the Stade de France this weekend were deeply disturbing and disturbing,” the spokesman said.
“We know that many Liverpool fans traveled to Paris on time … and we are very disappointed with how they treated them.”
“We are urging UEFA to work closely with the French authorities on a full investigation and to publish these conclusions.”
Darmanin said there were no problems with Real Madrid fans at Saturday’s game, most of whom said they had received electronic tickets.
He said that the Spanish team managed to control their traveling fans better than Liverpool.
He acknowledged that police were caught unawares by local criminals who showed up to cause trouble in the party.
But defending current security protocols, the minister said France had only three months to prepare after the final moved from Russia.
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Earlier, Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera tried to justify France’s use of harsh police by citing the chaos of the crowd that erupted when St Etienne relegated from Ligue 1.
Oudea-Castera, who accused Liverpool of leaving fans “free”, has instructed Michel Cadot, interministerial delegate for major sporting events, to write a report within 10 days describing what happened to Paris and the lessons to follow. for the management of future events.
The crowd problem has become a political issue ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections and has embarrassed France, which hosts the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.
Reuters / ABC
Posted 1 hour 1 hour ago Monday, May 30, 2022 at 9:55 PM, updated 49 minutes ago, 49 minutes ago, Monday, May 30, 2022 at 10:20 PM