France’s Interior Minister should resign over chaos at the European Cup football final that he tried to blame on Liverpool fans, according to some of his senior law and order colleagues.
They say that “absurd accusations brought against 30,000 to 40,000 supporters” by Gerald Darmanin – the equivalent of Britain’s Home Secretary – are all part of a “cover up”.
All expressed fury at the shame being heaped on France after the showpiece final against Real Madrid at the Stade de France on Saturday descended into violence.
Police sprayed fans with pepper spray and tear gas, as thousands of Liverpool fans were accused by Mr Darmanin of trying to force entry using fake tickets.
“This complaint is an announcement aimed at trying to cover up,” an Interior Ministry official told Mediapart, the Paris investigative news outlet on Tuesday.
“Accusing English supporters is just nonsense,” the official continued. “Paris police headquarters should have recognised their mistakes.”
Instead, said the source, the Paris Police Prefect, Didier Lallement, fabricated a figure of “70 per cent of Liverpool fans” arriving at the ground with fake tickets.
“The communication was initiated by the Prefecture, the Minister followed. It is a mistake,” said the source.
A senior gendarmerie officer supported the Interior Ministry official, saying: “These declarations mark the double bankruptcy of a ministry which not only does not know how to manage a sporting event of this magnitude but follows the declarations of a dangerous and uncontrolled Prefect.
“In other countries, it would have been worth the resignation of the Minister and the Prefect. But in France lies are added to policed violence to cover it up without this posing a problem.”
Other senior police officers said specialist riot squads trained to deal with urban disturbances should not have been at the final.
These so-called “Brav2 units wear helmets and body armour and are notorious for using tear gas and batons.
“Putting Brav intervention companies who have no experience in managing supporters for a sporting event of this magnitude is nonsense,” said one of the sources.
He said they created the violence associated with the Yellow Yest’ anti-government movement that brought rioting to the streets of major cities during President Emmanuel Macron’s first administration.
Referring to prestige sports events due to be held in France over the next two years, the police source said: “Fifteen months from the Rugby World Cup and twenty-four from the Olympics, this does not bode well.”
UEFA, the European football body, is launching an independent inquiry into the treatment of Liverpool fans at the weekend.
Critics have accused French ministers of scapegoating Liverpool fans to mask their own failings and the role of local thugs.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The footage from the Stade de France this weekend was deeply upsetting and concerning. We know many Liverpool fans travelled to Paris in good time . . . and we’re hugely disappointed.”
