The men’s soccer Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool on May 28, 2022 has been postponed for nearly 40 minutes after unrest outside the Stade de France outside Paris left many fans unable to arrive on time – or at all.
Fences were pulled down in several parts of the stadium as fans pushed to reach security checkpoints. According to eyewitnesses, “obstacles” arose towards the controls.
When the situation fully deteriorated, the police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and UEFA earlier claimed the chaos was caused by thousands of people with invalid tickets.
Darmanin initially defended the use of tear gas, saying it “saves lives”. But during a hearing before a French Senate committee, he later apologized.
Liverpool and Real Madrid demanded answers as to what really happened, and an investigation commissioned by the French Senate concluded that the organizer was responsible.
UEFA launched its own investigation which came to a similar conclusion.
UEFA and the French authorities have received criticism from several quarters for their actions in relation to the disruption. Paris police chief Didier Lallamane said the maneuver was a failure and UEFA also apologized on its website.
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