Football: Paris police chief acknowledges 'failure' at Champions League final
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Liverpool fans stand outside the State de France in Paris on May 28, 2022.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS (AFP) - The head of Paris police acknowledged on Thursday (June 9) 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.
"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."
He said he was "sorry" for authorising the use of tear gas to move supporters away from the stadium before the match, but added that there was "no other means" of relieving the growing pressure at the gates.
