French government ministers have been branded 'disgraceful' after doubling down on fake ticket claims and attempting to smear Liverpool fans over the problems at Saturday's Champions League Final.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin today claimed thousands of Liverpool fans tried to jump over fences to get into the stadium, despite countless accounts, images and videos showing this not to be true. The minister said his government received a memo warning that thousands of British fans would attempt to force their way inside the Stade de France.
Mr Darmanin, appearing before the French senate today, has again been branded a 'liar' and a 'disgrace' for his claims by supporters and journalists who were on the ground at the Stade de France on Saturday night. And Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera then provoked fury and disbelief as she suggested that Liverpool fans provided a 'very specific risk' to the authorities.
READ MORE: French media not buying government claims about Liverpool fans
Mr Darmanin previously claimed that as many as 40,000 Reds fans turned up to the stadium with fake tickets or no tickets, something that LFC supporters, journalists and many others have strongly denied. Ms Oudéa-Castéra on Monday doubled down on blaming Liverpool Football Club and its supporters.
Speaking at the hearing today, he said that he 'deeply regrets the incidents and accepts that the event was spoiled. It is clear that it could have been better organised.'
The minister claimed his forces were under attack at the Champions League final, an account that will be questioned by many Liverpool fans who were targeted with tear gas and pepper spray for no apparent reason. He has also again claimed that there was only trouble 'in front of the Liverpool turnstiles' - despite numerous reports of problems facing Real Madrid fans as well.
During the hearing Mr Darmanin continued to push claims that there were a huge number of fake tickets on the Liverpool side. He again showed examples of what he said were fake tickets, claiming to have evidence of two types of fraud taking place. He said: "First we have people buying fake tickets for £50 each,' adding that there were also 'people who bought their tickets for thousands, believing that they were real."
He also claimed that there were 30,000 people trying to get in to the ground, adding: "People jumped over to get in. They went underneath and over the top. Police tried to push back thousands of individuals to avoid people going onto the pitch."
Mr Darmanin's account is being strongly disputed by fans and journalists who were present at the Stade de France on Saturday. Journalist Daniel Austin said: "This is disgraceful. I cannot convey to you how much Gerald Darmanin is lying." Neil Jones, Liverpool reporter for Goal.com said 'this is genuinely disgraceful from Darmanin. Lie after lie after lie."
Liverpool ECHO's Liverpool correspondent Paul Gorst was another who was present at the match on Saturday. He tweeted: "Gerald Darmanin claims there were 'hundreds of fake tickets' for the Champions League final. Rowing back significantly on the 40,000 claim from the top of the week. Also claims the issues were only at Liverpool points of entrance. That's simply not true."
Many Liverpool fans were targeted by French police with tear gas and pepper spray at the final and Mr Darmanin said he has said the use of such methods will be reviewed. He accepted that there were not enough police present to make sure supporters were safe and accepted that some officers took actions that were not acceptable.
He said: "In the urgency, the police used urgent dispersal methods to try to avoid harm and in doing, innocent ordinary families were treated in a way they will not have expected or liked." But remarkably he also claimed that the use of tear gas and pepper spray may have saved a lot of people from being crushed.
Responding, Neil Jones said: "Sickening, incomprehensible claims from Darmanin that because people were pushing, to avoid people being crushed, police deployed tear gas."
In a moment that will leave Liverpool fans furious, he claimed to have received a police memo suggesting that there would be no trouble with Real Madrid fans, but that hundreds of Liverpool fans would attempt to push through turnstiles.
In her evidence, Ms Oudéa-Castera said: "I am devastated for those whose evening was ruined and those Liverpool fans who bought legitimate tickets. I wish to be as transparent and responsible as possible." She suggested that 2,700 valid Liverpool fans were prevented from seeing the match. She suggested those fans would all be compensated.
In another shocking moment, suggesting the prejudice against Liverpool fans, Ms Oudéa-Castera said: "The time we had to prepare this final was short. We only knew the identity of the finalists on 4 May, especially Liverpool with the very specific risk their fans present us."
Many Liverpool fans said they were lost for words, One said: "Don't know how anyone can be allowed to get away with saying this. Sickening." Another added: "I mean that's just pure lies and defamation at this point." Another Red said her words were 'absolutely despicable.'
