French Senate report on the Champions League Final in Paris, Liverpool FC supporters were wrongly accused for the mayhem

The report found that it was wrong to have attempted to blame Liverpool supporters for the disruptions.

13/07/2022, 05:43 PM +00:00

The match —between Real Madrid and Liverpool— which was to be a showcase of the capabilities of Paris and French authorities just with a year left before the Rugby World Cup and ahead of the Olympics in two years, turned into a nightmare for law enforcement and the government.

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Spectators without tickets climbed over the stadium gates while others, provided with tickets, were unable to enter. Several families were sprayed with tear gas by the police or became victims of robberies and assaults by opportunistic criminals who took advantage of the chaos that ensued.

Following the game, French officials, especially Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, spread false stories about LFC supporters. False accusations regarding fans and "30-40,000 counterfeit tickets" being in circulation were made by Darmanin.

At a media briefing Laurent Lafon, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Culture, Education and Communication, stated:"It is unfair to have sought to blame Liverpool supporters for the disturbances as the minister of the interior has done to deflect attention from the state's inability to adequately manage the crowd."

Fake tickets are not the reason for the chaos that spread in Paris

For Mr. Lafon, if "the management of the ticket office was inadequate, in no case can it be considered as the sole cause of the incidents”.

The report acknowledged that there were some counterfeit tickets, but said that UEFA's ticket handling was to blame for the issues. The authentication of tickets was defective, according to Mr. Lafon.