Spectators without tickets who climb the gates, supporters and families sprayed with tear gas, other victims of theft or assault, etc.

The policing of the Real Madrid-Liverpool Champions League final, the most important match of the season in Europe, has since been the subject of heated controversy in France and England.

And this Thursday, the Paris police chief Didier Lallement made amends Thursday during his hearing before the Senate to explain the incidents at the Stade de France on May 28, attributed by the authorities to Liverpool supporters without a valid ticket. .

“It is obviously a failure”, conceded Didier Lallement, mentioning the people “jostling or attacked” and “the shaken image” of France, before the law commission of the upper house.

"It's an injury for me," he added.

“I did not expect a volume of this nature of counterfeit notes”

The hearing of the prefect comes after that, on June 1, of the Ministers of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra and of the Interior Gérald Darmanin.

The latter had maintained his version, much criticized, reaffirming that “35,000” supporters with counterfeit tickets or without tickets had presented themselves at the Stade de France and would have been “the root evil” at the origin of the incidents.

“I completely assume” this figure “that I gave to the minister”, said Didier Lallement, while acknowledging that he “may have been mistaken”.

"I never claimed that it was perfectly fair," he added, while maintaining that there were too many people for the stadium's capacity (79,000 seats).

Didier Lallement notably refuted having said that these supporters were all "in front of the gates of the stadium", while several videos and testimonies showed that there was not a large number of supporters around the Stade de France after the start. Match.

"I did not expect a volume of this nature of counterfeit notes," he continued.

Preserve "the physical integrity of people and the holding of the match"

Regarding the use of tear gas on the supporters, it was "the only police means to push back a crowd except to charge it", which would have been a "serious error", insisted the prefect, who said to himself "sorry" for "people of good faith".

"The decisions taken" made it possible to preserve "the physical integrity of people and the holding of the match", nevertheless welcomed the prefect, recalling that the RER B strike had caused a massive postponement of supporters at checkpoints in the RER D exit.

Our report on Liverpool

From 2:30 p.m., it is the turn of several officials of the French Football Federation (FFF) to be heard: Philippe Diallo, vice-president, Florence Hardouin, general manager, Erwan Le Prévost, director of institutional relations, and Didier Pinteaux, security manager.

Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram will also be heard at 4 p.m.

He himself was present at the Stade de France and was the victim of pickpockets.

Justice

Incidents at the Stade de France: Eager for answers, Liverpool fans are hesitant about the legal action proposed by the French authorities

Company

Incidents at the Stade de France: "These events damage our children's passion for football"

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  • Stade de France

  • Didier Lallement

  • Police

  • Gerald Darmanin

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