Manchester United are investigating the treatment of their fans who attended Thursday’s 2-2 draw at Lyon. The local government admitted French police used teargas but said it was “proportionate” to restore calm.
Posts on social media showed United fans feeling the effect of the spray at the Europa League quarter-final first leg. The Rhône prefecture said in a statement: “English fans were seated in the away section waiting to be allowed to join their bus. They attempted to force their way through the security measures deployed by the national police. Projectiles were also reported to be thrown at the police. The police therefore used moderate, proportionate and necessary force (tear gas) to restore calm.
“All the English supporters were then led to the buses to leave the stadium. It was a very brief moment and the rest of the event went well overall. We are committed to doing everything possible to welcome foreign supporters in safe conditions.”
Football Supporters Europe criticised the police, claiming teargas was used after fans were prevented from using the toilets. Ronan Evain, FSE’s executive director, said: “It is completely unacceptable that the police would think it’s OK to stop people from going to the toilets – then the reaction to it is completely disproportionate. It is human nature that people will lose their temper if the police take away basic elements of basic human dignity like being allowed to go to the toilet.
“The police are responsible for creating this tension, for escalating it instead of taking the only logical decision in this situation, which is to permit people to go to the toilet, even if it’s only small groups. That they’re choosing to escalate this even further [via the spray] can’t be justified.”
Duncan Drasdo, the Manchester United Supporters Trust chief executive, posted on X: “90 percent of the time on Euro aways if there is aggro it’s with the police rather than local fans. Most countries can do this right but there are almost always problems with the French police. All too often they create the aggro they are supposed to be preventing.”
FSE is working with MUST to collect fan statements. United were approached for comment.
