The head of Paris police acknowledged on Thursday the “failure” of security operations for the Champions League final last month and apologised for tear-gassing supporters as they tried to enter the stadium.
The football showpiece hosted by Paris on May 28 was marred by scenes of mayhem as Liverpool fans struggled to enter the stadium for the match against Real Madrid, raising questions over the capacity of the French capital to host the 2024 Olympics.
“It is obviously a failure,” Didier Lallement told a commission investigating the fiasco at the French Senate. “It was a failure because people were pushed around and attacked. It’s a failure because the image of the country was undermined.”