The Paris police chief said on Thursday that he may have been wrong when he said that up to 40,000 Liverpool fans had tried to enter the Champions League final with fake tickets and that there was no evidence to support the claim.
Didier Lallement added during a hearing in the French Senate that the police action surrounding the match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France was a “failure”, as fans were harmed and France’s image was eroded.
The final, which Liverpool lost 1-0, was delayed by more than 30 minutes after police forcibly barred people trying to enter the stadium. Riot police threw tear gas at supporters, including women and children.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said much of the blame lies with Liverpool fans and that 30,000 to 40,000 arrived without valid tickets, which led to crowds at the stadium and people trying to force their way in.
He was later supported by President Emmanuel Macron.
Darmanin’s version was disputed by Liverpool fans who attended and say the vast majority of their fans behaved well but were treated violently by French police.
“Maybe I got the number of 30,000 to 40,000 (fans with fake tickets) wrong that I gave the (interior) minister,” Lallement said.
“From an operational point of view, it doesn’t change anything if it’s around 40,000 or 30,000 or 20,000,” said Lallement.
Source: CNN Brasil
