May 24 – Security failures at the French cup final last weekend will be sorted out before the start of Euro 2016, the government insists.
The month-long tournament opens across France on June 10 with a state of emergency still in force following the terrorist attacks last November that killed 130 people in Paris and targeted multiple sites across the capital, including the Stade de France.
Saturday’s final between arch-rivals Paris St Germain and Olympique Marseille at that very stadium was marred by fans throwing firecrackers and flares inside and outside while banned objects were brought into the ground.
Local authorities, the French Football Federation and Europe’s governing body UEFA met on Monday to assess the security lapses. Speaking afterwards, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said a series of measures would be finalised in the coming days.
“It was decided to rapidly correct the failings to guarantee the flow of supporters at entry points to the stadiums, to make security checks by private security firms reliable and to make end-of-match exit points for fans safe,” he said.
The French football federation (FFF) said it was launching its own investigation.
“The FFF wants to make clear that the security system in place for the Cup final was not the final plan expected for Euro 2016,” the FFF said in a statement.
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