The chaotic Champions League final won’t happen again because of football, the fans deserve more
The French government and UEFA have announced requirements for events before, during and after Saturday night’s UEFA Champions League final. These are the scenes where the European game hopes to have existed for a long time: supporters (including children) being pepper sprayed, individuals without tickets forced through or through the gates, fans stalked and threatened, supporters were pinned down for hours in dangerous conditions.
The truth is not only the first casualty of war; This is also the first casualty in situations like the one we witnessed on Saturday night. Different camps defend their corner, half-truths and outright fabrications, mistrust and tribalism, cultural differences and accusations, age-old prejudices and historical fears history … all amplified by social media and sometimes suppressed by a 24/7 news cycle.
What we need now is a full investigation: calm, transparent and independent. In fact, we need many and yes UEFA has authorized an independent investigation go with the French. What Not helpful are comments such as those of the French Minister of Sports, Amelie Oudea-Castera, who said Liverpool “let its supporters go wild” as if they were animals with rabies.
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French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that more than two-thirds of the 62,000 Liverpool supporters he claimed were present at the Stade de France presented fake tickets. That may or may not be correct, and it may or may not be true when the actions taken by law enforcement are, as he claims, “proportionate” and help” prevent death or serious injury.” But I’m not sure how you can make such a claim less than 36 hours after the game, and I’m not the only one.
“I just want to say that we are extremely surprised that someone in that position would have commented in the first place at this point, when we haven’t had enough time to understand what happened, ” Liverpool CEO said Billy Hogan. He is referring to Oudea-Castera, but he may also be talking about Darmanin. “There hasn’t been an independent investigation to determine all the facts… There needs to be a transparent, independent investigation into what happened. We should know all the facts to make sure. that the scenes we saw, utterly shameful, from Saturday never happened again.
“People should focus on doing the right investigation and less on making inflammatory comments in an attempt to downplay responsibility for what happened Saturday night.”
He’s right: we know bad things have happened. “Who” is important, but “why” and “how,” and in situations like these, your best-case scenario has two parts.
The first is that those who do wrong must be held accountable. On this occasion, that list could include organizers, law enforcement, local criminals, ticket fans, and people who sold fake tickets. I pray for justice, but I do not hold my breath for this. It’s the chaos, it’s the willingness of the custodians to close the ranks, it’s the desire of the victims to put things behind them, to be honest, justice is here. may end up as a reward. But there’s a secondary aspect: learn from mistakes and make sure they don’t happen again. I’m a little more optimistic here for the simple reason that, in addition to reputational damage, there’s money at stake. Lots and lots of money.
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The Champions League final is the European game’s answer to the Super Bowl. It’s not just the game itself and the VIPs in attendance; that’s the whole festival around it, one that UEFA hopes will monetize and commercialize further, turning it into a week-long event. Saturday night not only saw ratings supporters being treated badly – Liverpool fans could suffer more, but it is by no means an easy ride for Real Madrid loyalists – but also many VIPs, corporate partners and people of high repute who made it possible to attend these events.
Indeed, there was a bad democratizing effect on Saturday’s events. You may have driven a Rolls-Royce, holding a €12,000 all-inclusive package ticket, but when you get out of the car, intercepted at the first security line, you are just a civilian, face to face. with the same obstacles as queuing, crushing and, if you’re unlucky, heavy-handed police.
It sounds cynical and gross, but more than anything, it’s what is likely to prompt action. Along with the casual fans, there are corporate sponsors, commercial partners, politicians, past and present players, club officials and related officials. The group ended with an unforgettable evening. And their voices matter, sometimes more than that.
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It’s 2022. It’s not unreasonable to expect that, regardless of socioeconomic status, everyone will be able to attend the biggest game in club football without having to go to the stadium. six hours early, no need to be led from Point A to Point B as part of an official tour, no need to wear military gloves, no biblical queuing in restricted areas, no traffic jams. robbery or fraud, and not feel unsafe, especially at the hands of the very people who are there to protect them (the police).
We can do better. I don’t know how to achieve that, other than establishing facts and being smarter about how we organize these events, but I do know that the fans deserve better and football deserves good. than.
