Unfair to blame Liverpool fans for CL final chaos: French Senate report

Paris, Jul 13 (EFE).- Liverpool fans were unfairly blamed by French government officials for causing chaotic scenes outside the venue of the Uefa Champions League final in Saint-Denis, according to the provisional findings from a French senate report published Wednesday.

The report accused the interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, of not telling the truth and offering a “partial and imprecise” account of the incidents outside the Stade de France near Paris on May 28.

The minister initially said the disturbance, which saw huge crowds form outside the gates of the stadium and police resorting to tear gas, was sparked by a large number of Liverpool fans turning up to the final against Real Madrid with counterfeit tickets.

France’s senate report said, however, that the crowd issues resulted from a “chain of malfunctions” at the organizational and operational level of hosting the final.

Darmanin’s initial comments on the dramatic scenes, which delayed the start of the match, “did not correspond with the truth,” the report added.

Another failing that was flagged by the commission was insufficient security planning to tackle the crime witnessed outside the stadium before and, especially, after the game, when fans reported being assaulted by local youth gangs.

Senators said lessons would have to be drawn ahead of the 2024 Rugby World Cup in France and the 2024 Paris Olympics and called on president Emmanuel Macron and prime minister Elisabeth Borne to break their silence on the matter and ensure there are consequences for the failures. EFE

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