Champions League final chaos must not happen again because football, fans deserve better

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The French government and the European football governing body are looking into events before and after the final. These were the scenes the European game hoped would be behind them: supporters being pepper- sprayed, ticket-less individuals forcing their way through or over gates, fans being mugged and intimidated, supporters being penned in for hours in dangerous conditions.

Truth is not just the first casualty of war, it is also the first casualty in situations like we witnessed Saturday night. Different camps defending their corner, half-truths and outright fabrications, mistrust and tribalism, cultural differences and accusations, age-old prejudices and historical fears are all amplified by social media.

A full investigation is what we need now. We need more than one, and it was right that the European soccer body commissioned an inquiry to go with the French one. The comments made by the French sports minister about letting the supporters out in the wild as if they were animals is not helpful.

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French interior minister Gerald Darmanin claimed that more than two-thirds of the 62,000 fans who showed up for the game had presented fake tickets. That may or may not be accurate, just as it may or may not be true that the actions taken by law enforcement helped prevent deaths or serious injury.

Billy Hogan said that they were surprised that someone in that position would make comments in the first place. He might have been talking about Darmanin, since he was referring to Oudea-Castera. There needs to be a transparent investigation into what happened. We should be aware of all the facts to make sure the scenes from Saturday do not happen again.

Everyone should focus on getting the investigation right and less on making inflammatory comments that attempt to distract from what happened on Saturday night.

We know bad things happened. In situations like these, your best-case scenario comes in two parts.

Those who did wrong are held accountable. The list might include organizers, law enforcement, local criminals, ticket-less fans and those who sold forged tickets. I am praying for justice, but I am not holding my breath on this one. The willingness of those with oversight to close ranks, and the desire of victims to put everything behind them, is what makes justice here feel like a bonus. Learning from mistakes and making sure they don't happen again is a secondary aspect. There is money at stake and I am a tad more optimistic for that reason. There is a lot of money.

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The Super Bowl is the European game. It is more than just the game itself and the people who attend, it is also the whole carnival around it, which is why the game is being turned into a weeklong event. Saturday night saw not just rank-and-file supporters treated badly, but also many of the high rollers who make up the Real Madrid faithful.

There was a perverse democratizing effect to the events. You might have driven up in a Rolls-Royce, holding your ticket, but after you block from the first security cordon, you are a mere civilian.

It might sound cynical, but it is likely to spur action. Corporate sponsors, commercial partners, politicians, players past and present, club officials and federation officials all ended up with an evening to forget along with ordinary fans. Sometimes their voices matter more.

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It is 2022. It is not unreasonable to think that people from all walks of life should be able to attend the biggest game in club football without having to show up six hours early, or having to go on an official tour.

We can do better. I don't know how to get there, other than establishing the facts and being smarter about how we hold these events, but I know that fans deserve better and football deserves better.