Paris police chief Didier Lallement has admitted that the handling of the Champions League final was a “failure”.
The event marred by chaos around the stadium, with security forces even using tear gas.
The event, which pitted Real Madrid against Liverpool on May 28, “was clearly a failure”, in the words of Lallement. He then apologised to the Spanish and British fans who had made the trip to the French capital for the moments of turmoil, which occurred shortly before the start of the match.
He regretted that people were “pushed and assaulted” and that France’s image had been damaged, although he also defended some of the more controversial practices such as the use of tear gas, during an appearance in the senate in which he gave explanations for the incident.
The police chief expressed his regret that these gases affected people “in good faith, especially families”, but at the same time he assured that it was the only way to reduce the pressure on the entrances to the Stade de France.
He said it seemed “the only way” to push back the crowd without a direct charge.
Credit: marca.com
