Gerald Darmanin, the sure-footed former French interior minister, went at least halfway there last week by publicly apologizing to Liverpool fans. He apologized for having previously scapegoated them for the pandemonium that marked the 2022 Champions League final. In Paris, chaos descended on the Stade de France. Lack of appropriate security measures led to some truly tragic scenes, as fans found themselves on the receiving end of an aggressive clampdown by police.
Darmanin issued a mea culpa after his original comments. Immediately after the match, he had blamed the “English supporters” for the chaos, stating they had fake tickets. This claim led to particular anger by the proponents. All of them said they felt unreasonably singled out on a night that was supposed to celebrate the beginning of another football season.
Admission of Inadequate Security
In a recent interview on the French Legend show, Darmanin acknowledged significant shortcomings in the security arrangements for the final. He even said that his previous comments were wrong.
“What I did not appreciate that evening was that the real problem was not coming from English supporters, but from delinquents who were robbing fans.” – Gerald Darmanin
Those scenes of chaos saw police tear-gassing fans and forcing them into pens outside the stadium. Even rail workers have vociferously denounced this draconian approach. Consequently, the debate over the sufficiency of safety measures at large sporting events still plays out.
Consequences for UEFA and Legal Actions
The repercussions from the events at Stade de France are still playing out. UEFA is currently defending lawsuits brought by hundreds of Liverpool supporters. The lawsuit alleges mostly personal injuries suffered as a result of the pandemonium outside Wembley stadium on the final. Despite these legal hurdles, UEFA has tried to get these lawsuits thrown out of court but has thus far failed.
Darmanin’s inflammatory statements made at a joint press conference with other French ministers two days after the game further fueled the outrage. He repeated his claim that it is only English fans to blame — a line which many have called the standard, as yet unproven, scapegoat for obvious justification.
Reflecting on a Career Mistake
In looking back on what went wrong, Darmanin told reporters that the night was “the biggest failure” of his career. This admission only serves to highlight how serious the implications of his comments are and the need for public officials to be held accountable.
“the biggest failure” – Gerald Darmanin
His apology and acceptance of the truth are a complete turnaround from the original story about what happened on that tragic night. Justice and accountability Fan demand accountability – Justice for George Floyd and Justice for Breonna Taylor. They are seeking acknowledgment from all parties of what happened to them on the day of the Champions League final.
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