Hugh Scofield
Paris correspondent
Reuters
The French former interior minister has apologized for the first time for the 2022 fiasco at the Stadet de France in France, where he saw Liverpool football supporters misdemeaning the riots.
Gerald Dalmanin admitted that the security arrangements for the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid are wrong, and that his first public statement – denounces English fans – was wrong.
“It was a mistake because I hadn’t foreseen. It was a mistake on my part. I was misled by preconceived notions,” said Dalman, the current French Justice Minister.
“The scapegoat was easy to find, so I now apologized to Liverpool supporters. They were pretty right to get injured. It was a mistake and a failure.”
EPA
Gerald Dalmanin admitted that pointing his finger at Liverpool fans for security breakdown in the 2022 final was “a mistake.”
Police used tear gas on Liverpool supporters as they tried to enter a Paris stadium. Some fans were ambushed and robbed by a gang of young French men.
In a lengthy interview on the Legend YouTube channel, Darmanin said the night was the “bigest failure” of his career.
“What I didn’t appreciate that night was that the real problem came not from English supporters, but from the delinquent that was robbing fans.
“Our security arrangements weren’t designed for its finality. We had riot police… there are big boots and shields, and there’s not much for running. What we need for such delinquency is the running shoe officer.
“We made a mistake in the arrangement. We were hoping for a (soccer) hooligan war.
In the first comments after the issue, Dalman and police chief Didier Larement said the dangerous crash at the stadium was primarily caused by Liverpool fans in possession of fake tickets.
The claim was then exposed in an independent report commissioned by UEFA.
PA Media
Liverpool fans were first accused of causing a chaotic scene at Stade de France in 2022
In another section of the interview, Dalman told France “is no longer a safe place.” This is a comment that sparked a surge of opposition.
“What many French people can see is that (violence) has become commonplace and has been metastasized, not just where they once looked for potential problems.
“Nearly, we find that the smallest rural villages have experience with cocaine or cannabis.”
National Rally MP Jan Phillip Tangai pointed out that Dalmanin has been in the government since the first election of President Emmanuel Macron in 2017.
Tangay said he “treates the French as ridiculous and makes all these so-called harsh declarations when the records are so devastating.”
Dharmanin, 42, from political rights, did nothing in the interview to dispel speculation that he might be running to replace Macron in 2027.
“Do you think about the presidential election? The answer is yes,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean I’m a candidate, but it means that the country is more ambitious about doing better than what I’m seeing right now.”
