Le Pen: “The interior minister lied… he should resign”
As the controversy surrounding the UEFA Champions League final spread to the political arena, French President Emmanuel Macron ordered a quick and thorough investigation to evolve.
According to AFP and Archyde.com on the 1st (local time), government spokeswoman Olivia Gregoire said following the weekly cabinet meeting that President Macron wants the details of the Champions League final turmoil to be fully transparent and expeditious.
In the Champions League final held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis outside Paris on the 28th of last month, Real Madrid of Spain defeated Liverpool of England 1-0 to win the Champions League final.
The match started 30 minutes late due to chaos outside the stadium.
In the process of blocking some Liverpool fans from trying to enter the stadium without a ticket, the police sprayed tear gas and pepper spray at children and the disabled, criticizing it as an overreaction.
After Darmanin blamed Liverpool fans for being late and bringing fake tickets, the matter escalated into an international problem with the UK.
British media, including the BBC, responded by analyzing the situation in detail, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also called for a full investigation, and Liverpool also demanded an apology.
In France and abroad, it was an opportunity to raise doubts regarding whether France has the capacity to host large-scale sports events ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Summer Olympics.
French opposition parties have called for the resignation of Dharmanin.
In an interview with France 2 TV, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who competed with President Macron in the presidential election, criticized “the situation is extremely serious, and the minister’s lies are extremely serious”.
He said that he had left a terrible image of France on the world who watched the final on TV, and said that Minister Darmanin should consider resigning himself.
The French Senate will also summon Darmanin and Amelie Udea Castella, the French sports minister, to inquire regarding the situation.
Secretary-General Udea Castella denounced the Liverpool club for failing to properly manage the fans who had moved to Paris.
/yunhap news
ⓒ Hankyung.com, unauthorized reprinting and redistribution prohibited
