Uefa to investigate Paris chaos

PARIS • Uefa announced on Monday it was opening an "independent report" into the security chaos before the start of the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Paris last weekend.

French police used pepper spray and tear gas on Liverpool supporters, many of whom were denied access to the stadium despite being ticket holders, and the match was delayed by over 35 minutes due to the mayhem.

On Monday, French politicians accused the travelling supporters of using fake tickets "on an industrial scale" and blamed them, as well as local delinquents from a nearby high-crime area, for the clashes.

Uefa has backed the claims by the French leaders, saying the delay was the result of "thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets".

A source close to the European football's governing body added that there were "photocopies, crude imitations, and others which were actually very well done".

But some genuine ticket holders were locked out of the game and Uefa has already promised to compensate around 2,700 fans who had been "deprived".

A report has been commissioned that would "examine decision making, responsibility and behaviours of all entities involved in the final".

"Evidence will be gathered from all relevant parties," Uefa said.

"The findings of the independent report will be made public."

Portuguese politician Tiago Brandao Rodrigues will oversee the report on a pro bono basis, on the completion of which Uefa will decide upon a course of action.

He has served as Portugal's Minister of Education, was a member of the World Anti-doping Agency and was the Olympic attache during the 2012 London Games.

The French government has also launched its own probe into the unsavoury events.

Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera has tasked Michel Cadot, the inter-ministerial delegate for large sports events, with writing a report within 10 days, outlining what happened on Saturday night and also the lessons to take forward for the management of major sports events.

However, the decision by French politicians to primarily shift the blame to Liverpool fans has been met with fury in Britain.

A spokesman for Boris Johnson said on Monday the Prime Minister was appalled by the scenes and others like Technology Minister Chris Philp have expressed their outrage.

On French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin's claim that "70 per cent of tickets checked by stadium staff were fake", Ronan Evain, the executive director of Football Supporters Europe, an umbrella organisation of fan groups, said that was implausible and the number of fake tickets were "marginal".

"They are trying to deflect the blame on Liverpool fans," he said.

"I think they are choosing between a domestic political crisis and a diplomatic crisis with the United Kingdom, and they have chosen the second option."

Ian Byrne, the Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, who was in Paris to support the Reds, said the incident reminded him of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

"For a Champions League final, the blue-riband event of football in Europe, to be policed in such a manner, to have crowd management in such a manner it was so wrong. It was unforgivable," he added.

Mayor Steve Rotheram of Liverpool City Region also tweeted that he was among the victims.

Reports of widespread pickpocketing and muggings of Liverpool fans after the game have led to further criticism that the security response was over the top at the start and lacking afterwards.

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner yesterday demanded an apology from Ms Oudea-Castera for her claims that Liverpool were responsible for the chaos as the club failed to control their fans.

The Liverpool Echo newspaper quoted Werner as saying: "I am writing to you today out of utter disbelief that a minister of the French government... could make a series of unproven pronouncements on a matter of such significance before a proper, formal, independent investigation process has even taken place.

"Your comments were irresponsible, unprofessional, and wholly disrespectful to the thousands of fans harmed physically and emotionally."

The Reds have asked fans who attended the final to complete a feedback form in order to support an investigation. Chief executive officer Billy Hogan added the club were reviewing legal options available to them on behalf of their supporters.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, NYTIMES