The crowd gathered in front of the gates to support the free riders, who were in disarray and requiring muscular intervention by the police. They were quickly moved to Saint-Denis for the Champions League final Liverpool-Real Madrid (0-1) which featured scenes of chaos that suggested problems in the event’s organization.
Although the pre-match was pleasant, tension grew as the match approached. There were huge lines at the Stade de France where supporters had to filter in dribs. This was a first in recent history.
At least 1000 supporters were left without a ticket. The system was then compromised by intrusion attempts made by individuals without tickets. 105 people were arrested.
Fans who were present at the match noticed that there was a gang of young men and unidentified football fans trying to force their entry into the enclosure. The police intervened and dispersed the crowd, as well as passing supporters, using tear gas.
These accusations and the French hospitality were a shock to Liverpool supporters who have been considered “unproblematic” for over 30 years. The British supporters were not a security threat in the eastern Paris “fan zone”, where there were thousands of people following the broadcast. After twelve hours of intense drinking and fervor, the red tide dispersed peacefully.
On Saturday, nearly 7,000 firefighters, police officers and gendarmes were mobilized. UEFA explained that the disorder was caused “counterfeit tickets” which were causing bottlenecks. They requested an urgent audit from both the French and football authorities.
However, organizers argued that the numbers were sufficient.
The French Football Federation reclaimed the organization it had entrusted in Saint Petersburg at February’s end. This usually takes more than a year. According to a source close to the executive, the police were unable to mobilize due to insufficient preparation and underestimating the number of supporters.
Ronan Evain (executive director of Football Supporters Europe) says that this raises questions about France’s ability organize events of such size. The 2023 Rugby World Cup as well as the JO-2024 will be held in France.
The opposition also criticized the disorderly scenes. Marine Le Pen described a “feeling humiliation” and Jean-Luc Melenchon condemned the “lamentable image” because it was clear that they were not prepared for events like the Olympics.
