France Gears Up for World Cup with Insights Gained from Champions League Mistakes
Amelie Oudea Castera, France’s sports minister, stated that the nation has taken note of the mistakes made in the 2022 Champions League soccer final as it prepares for the Rugby World Cup match between Les Bleus and New Zealand on Friday.
To maintain safety throughout the competition, which closes on October 28, the minister announced that the government would send up to 7,000 security personnel across the nation.
The Stadium de France will host the tantalizing match between France and the All Blacks to kick off the World Cup, and security around the stadium will be closely watched before kickoff at 9.15 p.m. local time (1915 GMT).
The mayhem during the 2017 Champions League soccer final brought harsh criticism to France, which will host the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. A 36-minute delay was added to the start time because tens of thousands of Liverpool fans were unable to
Fans who were being herded into pens outside the stadium complained of harsh treatment as French police were seen deploying tear gas on them. At the time, UEFA, the organization that governs soccer in Europe, and French authorities attributed the problem on bogus tickets.
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From Stadium Chaos to Rugby World Cup Preparations
Television video, however, displayed young males dashing away from the stadium’s gates while not clearly sporting red Liverpool jerseys. Children and other individuals outside were also tear-gassed by riot cops.
According to a probe into the commotion, UEFA was to blame for the actions that took place, including “large number of near misses that nearly led to disaster”.
Following the publication of an independent study in February, UEFA issued an apology to Liverpool for initially holding the Merseyside club’s supporters responsible for the chaos. The review concluded that there was no proof to back up allegations of ticket fraud.
A mobilization of 5,500 to 7,000 security personnel is planned.
During the Rugby World Cup, between 5,500 and 7,000 security personnel will be mobilized around the nation, according to Oudea Castera, who also guaranteed easy transit conditions for visiting spectators at airports and railway stations.
The Rugby World Cup was also held in France in 2007, with two games taking place in Scotland and four in Wales.
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Source: Reuters
