French Minister Apologises to Liverpool Fans Over 2022 Champions League Chaos

France’s Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has issued a public apology to Liverpool fans, admitting for the first time that they were wrongly blamed for the chaos outside the Stade de France during the 2022 UEFA Champions League final.

Darmanin, who was interior minister at the time of the match between Liverpool and Real Madrid, acknowledged in a YouTube interview that the security arrangements were deeply flawed and that his initial comments targeting English fans were misguided.

“It was a failure because I had not foreseen. That was a mistake on my part,” Darmanin said. “The scapegoat was easy to find, and I apologise now to Liverpool supporters. They were quite right to be hurt.”

The final, held in Paris, descended into disorder as police used tear gas on Liverpool fans attempting to enter the stadium. Many supporters were caught in dangerous crushes or were assaulted by local gangs. Initial claims by French authorities that the violence stemmed from fans using fake tickets were later debunked in a UEFA-commissioned independent report.

Reflecting on the night, Darmanin called it “the biggest failure” of his career, adding that officials had prepared for hooligan violence, not for the widespread street-level crime that unfolded. “We got our arrangements wrong,” he admitted.

The minister also sparked fresh controversy in the same interview by saying that “no place in France is safe anymore,” blaming the spread of drugs and violence — a comment heavily criticised by opposition MPs, including National Rally’s Jean-Philippe Tanguy, who accused Darmanin of ignoring his own role in the government since 2017.

Darmanin, 42, did not rule out a presidential bid in 2027, stating, “Do I think of the presidential election? The answer is yes… I have ambitions for the country.”