French authorities have received widespread criticism for the handling of chaos that occurred before Saturday’s Champions League final. The match, which was held at Paris’ Stade de France, was overshadowed by violence towards Liverpool fans at the hands of security and police.
Videos online have been widely circulated showing Liverpool supporters being pepper sprayed and attacked by French police and security outside the stadium. Numerous witnesses have also come forward describing the chaos that occurred.
I mean seriously… what is this?
Fans literally just walking through a gate to scan their tickets and this happens? It makes no sense… pic.twitter.com/WDmgisLMST
— Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) May 29, 2022
Mayor of Liverpool, Joanna Anderson, described the actions of the police and security staff as “absolutely disgusting.” The UK’s Minister for Culture Nadine Dorries also called for an investigation into the “deeply disturbing” treatment of Liverpool fans.
In response to the events, French Minister of Sport, Amelie Oudea-Castera, blamed the disorder on the use of fake tickets. This claim was supported by Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin, who stated that thousands of English fans “forced entry and sometimes assaulted the stewards.”
However, footage has shown fans with valid tickets being denied entry. As a result, the police response has received heavy criticism, especially from figures in the United Kingdom. The night following the final, British politician Ian Byrne requested that Foreign Secretary Liz Truss should push for answers from UEFA and the French authorities.
Football journalist Henry Winter also concluded that “organization, poor stewarding and twitchy police were all issues.” He praised the patience of Liverpool fans whilst also condemning the negligence of UEFA officials.
Uefa needs a proper inquiry into the disgraceful scenes outside Stade de France, not a perfunctory glance having already made up its mind. Listen to those caught up in the crush. Assess fakes/ticketless issue, entry configuration, ill-led stewards and naive/aggressive policing.
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) May 29, 2022
Meanwhile, French media drew comparisons with events on Saturday with disorder from the past. Darmanin, France’s Interior Minister, was quick to pin the blame on supporters, yet testimony from the public and journalists says otherwise.
It was a similar occurrence in May 2019 when previous Minister of Interior Christophe Castaner wrongly accused French protestors of attacking a hospital in Paris. In reality, they were taking shelter from getting tear gassed by the police.
Amelie Oudea-Castera has declared that she will be meeting with officials from UEFA, the French Football Federation and French police on May 30. However, it remains to be seen as to whether officials will accept their misjudgement and poor management, or continue to push an ill-informed narrative.
No fans were seriously injured as a result of the chaos on Saturday evening, but it provided a disturbing memory for those who were present. Many supporters will have felt the same way as Ian Byrne, who described the evening as one of the worst experiences of his life.
