DURING the past week, events preceding last weekend’s Champions League final at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis — where Real Madrid and Liverpool fans encountered problems entering the stadium and were pepper-sprayed and tear-gassed by police — have been documented via thousands of first-hand accounts from all corners of the ground, the surrounding area, and all sections of the stadium.

Despite this many, including French politicians, are still looking to incorrectly and unfairly lay the blame on football supporters.

Some of the language being used is distressingly similar to that which told lies about fans following the Hillsborough disaster, and some of the reactions to what happened to fans at this Champions League final show how deep-rooted those lies were.