Liverpool fans receive apology from French minister for smears after Champions League final debacle in Paris

The 2022 Champions League final at Stade de France between Liverpool and Real Madrid was marred by a 37-minute delay in kick-off as fans were crammed as they approached the stadium and then battled to get to the entrances. France's justice minister, Darmanin, initially accused Liverpool supporters of causing the chaos and said that many of them had arrived without tickets.

After an independent assessment attributed the tumultuous circumstances to the French authorities and European football's governing body, UEFA revealed in March 2023 that they would reimburse the 19,618 Liverpool supporters who attended the final. Darmanin has now apologized to fans of the Merseyside club and admitted that the authorities had been at fault for the mayhem.

Speaking to the Legend show on YouTube, Darmanin said: “Yes, it was a failure. Because I hadn’t checked what was happening properly, which was my mistake, and because I gave in to preconceived ideas. The culprit was easy [to designate], and I apologise to Liverpool fans. Of course, they were right to [feel upset]. During my first public outing, I said what I was told, which was: ‘Well, the English are causing mayhem’. It wasn’t true in the literal sense of the word. Our security system wasn’t designed for that at all. The CRS (riot police), mobile gendarmes with big boots and shields, they’re not great for running. We got our system wrong. We were expecting a hooligan war, and instead we got people who came to steal.”

Liverpool were initially blamed for their inability to handle their fanbase, but UEFA later apologised and reimbursed the fans for their trouble during the 2022 Champions League final that they lost to Madrid. The Premier League champions crashed out early in the European competition this season but will be aiming for the crown next term under Arne Slot.