Overview

• Gérald Darmanin, France's Justice Minister, has publicly apologized to Liverpool supporters for the organizational failures during the 2022 Champions League final at the Stade de France.
• Darmanin admitted that initial claims blaming English fans for the chaos were incorrect, attributing the primary issues to criminal raids by delinquents from Seine-Saint-Denis.
• He acknowledged security deployment failures, stating that riot police and gendarmes were ill-equipped to handle the situation and that anti-crime units should have been used instead.
• Additional contributing factors included fake tickets blocking genuine fans' access and an RER train failure that funneled crowds to a single entry point, exacerbating congestion.
• This marks Darmanin's first full apology after years of criticism from Senate and UEFA reports, as well as demands for accountability from Liverpool supporters.