Chaotic scenes at the Stade de France before and during the Champions League final on Saturday night were described as a national embarrassment, while French ministers blamed Liverpool fans for it.
The final between Liverpool and Real Madrid began after a 35-minute delay due to police trying to hold back fans who tried to force their way into the National Stadium despite not having tickets, while some ticket holders complained that they were not allowed in.
🏆⚽️ #UCLFinal ALEDAÑOS DEL STADE DE FRANCE
‼️ Aficionados del @LFC hacinados contra las vallas intentando acceder al estadio en la previa al #LIVRMA
#️⃣ #DeParísACibeles #UCL
📹 vía: @Jorgeescorial pic.twitter.com/o9jQirjVbT
— Carrusel Deportivo (@carrusel) May 28, 2022
In television footage, young men apparently not wearing Liverpool's red shirts are shown jumping at the stadium gates and running away.
A Reuters witness said that security forces fired tear gas at others outside the stadium, some of them children.
Members of the security forces entered the stadium, while others confronted people who tried to demolish its gates.
The European Football Association (UEFA) said in a statement that the reason for these events was the fake tickets.
He added that he would discuss the facts with the French authorities and the French Football Federation.
⚠️❌ Problemas de seguridad en la #UCLfinal
🔴 @Jorgeescorial habla con dos aficionados, padre e hijo, que han sido rociados con el gas pimienta de la policía
🗣️ "NO hay organización. Llevamos aquí dos horas y hay gente que sigue ahí"
#️⃣ #DeParísACibeles #UCL pic.twitter.com/M9hMSf4Lbg
— Carrusel Deportivo (@carrusel) May 28, 2022
Britain's ambassador to Paris, Mona Rawlings, welcomed this statement.
"We need to establish the facts," she said on Twitter, expressing her support for the Liverpool team after a "brave performance" that ended in a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid.
The French Interior and Sports Ministers blamed the "British" fans.
Liverpool FC and eyewitnesses have challenged claims from French authorities that British fans were to blame #ChampionsLeagueFinal #ChampionsLeague #ChampionsEnStarPlus https://t.co/S6bmFzspq9
— The Telegraph (@ttindia) May 29, 2022
"Thousands of British fans, without tickets and with false tickets, made their way into the stadium and, in some cases, used violence against its staff," Home Secretary Gerald Darmannan said in a tweet, in which he thanked the French police.
🏆⚽️ #UCLFinal
‼️ Este ha sido uno de los motivos del retraso del inicio del #LIVRMA de la @ChampionsLeague
#️⃣ #DeParísACibeles #UCL
📹 vía: @antonmeana pic.twitter.com/67FsljZi9p
— Carrusel Deportivo (@carrusel) May 28, 2022
"Attempts to break into (and fake tickets) carried by thousands of English fans have complicated the work of stadium officials and police, but they will not taint this victory," Sports Minister Amelie Odea-Castera wrote on Twitter.
The Paris police said in a statement that about 68 people had been arrested by 1:20 a.m. local time on Sunday, while paramedics treated 238 people with minor injuries.
🏆⚽️ #UCLFinal ÚLTIMA HORA
‼️ Así usa la policía los botes de gas para dispersar a los aficionados que están en las vallas del Stade de France
#️⃣ #DeParísACibeles #UCL
📹 vía: @antonmeana pic.twitter.com/9FPLL5iXKC
— Carrusel Deportivo (@carrusel) May 28, 2022
UEFA issued a statement late on Saturday, saying: "Before the start of the match ... thousands of Liverpool fans who bought fake tickets closed the gates."
Liverpool Football Club also issued a statement saying, "We are very disappointed by the problems entering the stadium and the breakdown of the security environment that Liverpool fans have faced... We have officially requested the opening of a formal investigation into the causes of these unacceptable problems."
Liverpool fans charged and beaten by French riot police after Champions League final #Liverpool #Paris #ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/G0fClFlA77
— Ruptly (@Ruptly) May 29, 2022
The stadium scenes sparked outrage in France, with politicians of all stripes calling it a national disgrace.
"This is a disgrace to France!" Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, a former presidential candidate from the far-right, said on Twitter.
Some in the camp of French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed regret that these events occurred two years before Paris hosts the Olympic Games.
"A brawl in the Stade de France... A green space has turned into a rubbish bin... One note: We are not ready for the Paris 2024 Olympics," Nathalie Loiseau, a MEP from Macron's party, said on Twitter.