A French police chief has admitted security “broke down” during a football match at Stade de France on Saturday, the main venue for the forthcoming Euro 2016, raising concerns about France’s ability to protect fans during the month-long tournament.
Despite reinforcements, police and security staff were overwhelmed by rowdy hooligans before and during Saturday’s Coupe de France final between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Olympique de Marseille. It was an embarrassing acknowledgement for organisers who billed the match as a security “dress rehearsal” only three weeks ahead of the continental football cup.
“We have to admit that when the [security] system is under pressure, and that was certainly the case on Saturday evening, it broke down in a certain amount of places,” Philippe Galli, a police chief who oversees the Saint-Denis region where the Stade de France is located, told Europe 1 radio.
Galli said that security personnel were unable to handle Saturday’s “exceptionally” large crowd, especially at the exit of the RER B rail line, with many fans eluding security pat-downs and some illicit objects – including flares – sent over a two-metre high wall erected around the stadium.