French minister blames Liverpool fans for chaos at Champions League final

Riot police take up positions in front of the Liverpool fans after the UEFA Champions League final football match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on May 28, 2022. - Real Madrid won the match 0-1. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)

Riot police take up positions in front of the Liverpool fans after the UEFA Champions League final football match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on May 28, 2022. - Real Madrid won the match 0-1. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)

Published May 30, 2022

Share

Cape Town – Following Real Madrid’s 1-0 in over Liverpool in Saturday’s Champions League final, France sports minister has blamed Liverpool fans for the crowd problems which delayed the game.

Reuters reported that Liverpool fans without valid tickets were responsible for the crowd problems at the Champions League final, which was exacerbated by local youths who attempted to force their way into the stadium.

“What we really have to bear in mind is that what happened, first of all, was this mass gathering of the British supporters of the Liverpool club, without tickets, or with fake tickets,” said French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera.

“When there are that many people by the entrance to the stadium, there will be people trying to force their way in through the doors of the Stade de France, and a certain number of youths from the nearby area who were present tried to get in by mixing in with the crowd,” she told French radio RTL.

— Yasser (@078Yasser) May 28, 2022

The match kicked off with a 35-minute delay after police had clashed with the crowd outside the Stade de France. Footage posted on social media showing young men who were not wearing Liverpool jerseys jumping the gates of the stadium went viral.

“I was horrified to see those pictures of fans including children, disabled fans, being pepper sprayed by French police,” said Chris Philp, Britain's technology minister.

“And from the pictures I saw there was no obvious justification for that kind of behaviour,” he said.

Liverpool Chief Executive Billy Hogan said the treatment of Liverpool fans was “unacceptable” and the club wanted a “transparent investigation” by governing body Uefa.

IOL