Manchester United supporters claim they were “tear-gassed” by French riot police after being refused access to the toilet in scenes branded “completely unacceptable” by furious fans groups.
Around 3,000 United fans were in France on Thursday night to watch their side’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Lyon at the Groupama Stadium.
With supporters told they would be “held back” for an hour after the final whistle on safety grounds, many sought to go to the toilet during the closing stages of the game only to be blocked from doing so by riot police armed with batons and shields.
Around 10 to 15 fans were said to have gained entry to the concourses in an effort to use the facilities but were then targeted with tear gas by police officers when one supporter tried to force his way into the toilets.
James Young, 22, from Stretford, was one of the United fans at the game and condemned the actions of police. “It was terrible,” he said. “It’s another example of treating football fans like cattle and it’s not even the first time the French authorities have done this.
“We saw how Liverpool fans were treated before the Champions League final [in Paris in 2022]. The French authorities just seem to have a massive problem with football fans. They don’t know how to police football fans at all. Even the United stewards were confused as to why the French police weren’t co-operating.
“Most people affected were crying and rubbing their eyes and noses because of how strong it was. I was stood at the top of the away end and could taste it from where I was.”
Denied access to the toilets, some fans were said to have been left with no choice but to urinate on walls in the stands.
#MUFC Tear gas @ManUtd United fans. Unbelievable. 2025 and that is happening at a football game. @ISLO_MUSTpic.twitter.com/Cko8w3Chak
— Jason White (@jaydeblanc) April 10, 2025
Jason White, 50, a long-standing United season-ticket holder, videoed footage of the scenes on his phone. “It’s taking a sledgehammer to hammer a screw,” he said. “It’s disproportionate. Lots of innocent people have been affected.”
United said they were in the process of “gathering facts” in order to “establish a clear picture of what happened”. Uefa officials said they were awaiting official reports from the game.
‘Police escalation cannot be justified’
Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe (FSE), hit out at the heavy-handed actions of police.
“It is completely unacceptable that the police would think it’s OK to stop people from going to the toilets, and then the reaction to it is completely disproportionate,” Evain said. “It is human nature that people will lose their temper if the police take away basic elements of human dignity like being allowed to go ...