Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram will appear before the French senate later this week to discuss the chaos at the Champions League final in Paris.
On Thursday, Mayor Rotheram will appear in front of the French Senate's Standing Committees on Laws and Culture to talk to senators about his own experiences at the final and his views on where things went wrong both before and after the game. He is also likely to be asked to comment on the responses provided by French ministers in the wake of the chaos.
Mayor Rotheram was one of many Reds fans who were targeted by local gangs in Paris. He had tweeted about the chaotic scenes before the match as thousands of Liverpool supporters were kettled into dangerous spaces before being targeted with pepper spray and tear gas by French police. But as he waited to get inside the Stade de France, the Metro Mayor had his phone and other crucial items stolen by locals.
READ MORE: Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram's phone stolen in Paris ahead of Champions League final
He had tweeted of witnessing 'completely chaotic' scenes as he waited to get into the stadium on Saturday. He said: "A total breakdown of control and communication outside the ground. All relevant authorities must be held accountable for this failure."
The Monday after returning home, he added: "Sorry if I've been quiet since Saturday but, like too many others, I had my phone and other belongings stolen by dippers on the approach to the stadium."
In a follow up statement, discussing the wider issues experienced by so many fans in Paris. Mayor Rotheram said: "As a lifelong fan, and the representative for the Liverpool City Region, I was outraged by the treatment of Liverpool fans at the hands of the French police. The scenes outside Stade de France, before and after the game, were completely chaotic, with what appeared to be a breakdown of control and communication.
“What happened was difficult to witness. While fans travelled to the ground hoping for the night of their lives, it appears than the Gendarmerie went looking for conflict. More than any other club our fans understand the danger that poor policing and organisation at a football match can pose. It was disappointing how readily other teams’ supporters appear to have swallowed the lies and misinformation being perpetuated by UEFA and the French authorities – especially when social media has been awash with images that show the real truth."
Following the events in Paris, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera caused outrage as they repeatedly attempted to blame Liverpool fans for the chaos. During a frenzied senate hearing they doubled down on misleading claims about fake tickets and even smeared Reds fans along the way.
UEFA, which has promised to carry out a full investigation into what happened, has since apologised to Liverpool and Real Madrid fans for the 'frightening scenes' they experienced.
