Source: REUTERS/David Klein
[Saba Sports News] Recently, French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin admitted in an interview that he had mistakenly blamed Liverpool fans for the riots outside the Stade de France before the 2022 UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool. He apologized three years later. This match, originally scheduled to be held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was moved to Paris due to the war. Darmanin, who was the Minister of the Interior at the time, candidly admitted that there were insufficient preparations and communication errors for the event. Surveillance footage showed Liverpool fans in red shirts crowded near the barriers, with riot police attempting to restrain them. At the time, I was told there was a stampede incident. Although Liverpool is a top club, British football hooligans also have a notorious reputation. The primary duty of the French Interior Minister is to prevent football hooliganism; we initially judged they were causing the chaos. The safety command post, arriving officers, and on-site images all supported this conclusion. Our security deployment was entirely wrong; riot police wearing heavy boots and carrying shields couldn’t chase anyone down. To combat such crimes, we should have sent plainclothes tactical units, but instead misjudged it as dealing with hooligan fights, when in fact, we encountered a gang of robbers.