France defended itself this Monday from the chaos registered on Saturday during the Champions League finalassuring that there was a “massive fraud” of “false tickets” and that the criticized police action at the Stade de France prevented “deaths”.
‘A massive, industrial and organized false ticket fraud has been confirmed’
The French authorities are in the spotlight for the panic scenes that went around the world, especially when Paris must host the Olympic Games in 2024 and the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, is one of its main venues.
“A massive, industrial and organized false ticket fraud has been confirmed”which “was the main cause of the game’s delay,” Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said at a press conference after a meeting with political, police and sports officials.
On Saturday, the start of the final between Real Madrid and Liverpool (1-0) was delayed for more than 30 minutes due to problems with the access of fans to the stadium, where there were no serious injuries despite the overcrowding of fans at the entrances.
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At 9 pm, when the final of the prestigious European championship was scheduled to start, “97% of Spanish fans were present in its stands”, compared to “50% of British fans”, assured the Minister of the Interior.
Darmanin estimated between “30,000 and 40,000” the number of English fans without tickets or with counterfeit tickets and pointed out that the “fraud” originated in the United Kingdom.
Paris Police Prefect Didier Lallement announced on Sunday his intention to bring the case to justice. Although from the first moment France pointed to the responsibility of the fans of the English club, the authorities face growing national and international pressure amid criticism of the police action and the organization.
“Supporters deserve to know what happened”The British Prime Minister’s spokesman, Boris Johnson, urged shortly before, calling on UEFA to “work closely with the French authorities in a full investigation.”
UEFA has already “committed” to compensate the 2,700 people with a valid ticket and “deprived of the match” for the incidents, according to French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.
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AFP
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