French Minister Apologizes Over Champions League Chaos

France’s Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has publicly apologized to Liverpool fans for wrongly blaming them for the chaos at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris, admitting his claims were based on misinformation and preconceived stereotypes. Darmanin, who was Interior Minister at the time, originally alleged that tens of thousands of Liverpool fans with fake tickets caused the disorder, but later acknowledged that only 2,471 forged tickets were found. He described the incident as the biggest failure of his career, citing inadequate security and the presence of criminal gangs as the real issues rather than fan behavior. Independent investigations and UEFA reports assigned responsibility to French authorities and event organizers for crowd congestion, fan mistreatment, and the delayed kickoff. UEFA has offered refunds to affected Liverpool supporters. Lawsuits from fans over personal injuries sustained at the event are ongoing.