France's former interior minister apologises to Liverpool fans for 2022 Champions League final blame

Speaking in a YouTube interview on the Legend show, Darmanin - now serving as France's justice minister - admitted that security failures and criminal gangs, not English fans, were at the heart of the disorder. He called the incident "the biggest failure" of his career.

"I hadn't checked what was happening properly, which was my mistake," he said. "I gave in to preconceived ideas, the culprit was easy (to designate), and I apologise to Liverpool fans. Of course they were right to be upset."

The final between Liverpool and Real Madrid was delayed by over half an hour after dangerous crowd congestion developed outside the stadium. Thousands of fans were trapped in bottlenecks, and video footage showed French police deploying tear gas and using aggressive crowd control tactics on ticket-holding supporters.

In the days following the match, Darmanin held a press conference blaming the scenes on "English fans" and fake tickets - claims that were swiftly debunked by eyewitness accounts and independent investigations.

His remarks drew fierce backlash from fans, media, and politicians in both the UK and France. UEFA has also come under fire for its role in the disorganisation, with ongoing lawsuits from hundreds of Liverpool supporters who suffered injuries and trauma that night.

The apology, though late, is being seen as a significant acknowledgment of wrongdoing as legal proceedings continue. For many fans, it marks a long-overdue step toward justice after one of the most troubling nights in Champions League history.

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