Didier Lalemen added during a Senate hearing that police action around Liverpool’s match against Real Madrid at the Stade de France was a “failure” because fans were injured and the image of France was downgraded. The final, which Liverpool lost 1-0, was delayed for more than 30 minutes after police violently stopped people trying to get on the ground. MAT police fired tear gas at fans, including women and children. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said much of the responsibility lay with Liverpool fans and that 30,000-40,000 arrived without valid tickets, which led to a crowd crash on the pitch and people trying to enter by force. It was later supported by President Emanuel Macron. Darmanin’s version of events was challenged by Liverpool fans who attended and said that the vast majority of their supporters were well behaved, but were treated harshly by the French riot police. “I may have made a mistake in the number from 30,000 to 40,000 [fans with fake tickets] I gave to [interior] “Minister,” Lallement said. “From an operational point of view, nothing changes if it was about 40,000 or 30,000 or 20,000.” French senators pressed Lallement to explain the empirical evidence behind the number of fake tickets, which he said came from police reports on the ground. “I was the one who gave this number to the minister and I fully support it,” he added. During the parliamentary hearing, Lallement said he was solely responsible for police action during the mob riot around the Stade of France. Quick guide
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Thank you for your response. “We made sure the game was played and, most importantly, that there were no serious injuries or deaths,” Lallement said. He said the only option he had at his disposal to make sure people would not be crushed was to use tear gas. “What’s the only way to get the crowd going is other than to charge them, and I think it would be a serious mistake to charge people,” Lallement said. “I am well aware that people of good faith were gassed, and I am very sorry about that, but I repeat, there was no other way.” He said the night was “obviously a failure, because people were being pushed or attacked while we owed them security” and added: “It is also a failure because the image of our country … was shattered”. Many fans complained about theft after the match as they left the stadium. According to Lallement, 300 to 400 people were involved in theft and damage. Liverpool Underground Mayor Steve Rotheram, who attended the final, in which he said he was stolen, was due to testify before senators later on Thursday.
