Former French interior minister Gerald Darmanin apologised for the first time to Liverpool supporters for the policing operation at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.
Darmanin, now justice minister, said "we got the measures wrong" in an interview broadcast on the YouTube channel Legend on Monday.
The Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France was overshadowed by a 37-minute delay to kick-off as fans struggled to access the entrances after being funnelled into overcrowded bottlenecks as they approached the stadium.
Darmanin initially blamed Liverpool fans for the disorder and claimed many had turned up without tickets.
French Interior Minister apologises for Stade de France chaos
Three years on, he admitted in the interview that the authorities had got it wrong.
"Yes, it was a failure," said Darmanin. "Because I hadn't checked what was happening properly, which was my mistake, and because I gave in to preconceived ideas.
"I apologise to Liverpool fans. Of course they were right to (feel angry)."
Police fired tear gas towards thousands of supporters locked behind metal fences on the perimeter of the stadium.
Liverpool fans had to suffer a series of false claims in the aftermath of the chaos.
European football's governing body UEFA initially tried to pin the blame on supporters arriving late despite thousands having been held for hours outside the stadium before kick-off.
UEFA blame ‘fake tickets’ for delayed CL final, Liverpool demand investigation
The French authorities then claimed an "industrial-scale fraud" of fake tickets was the problem.
A French Senate enquiry later concluded that poorly-executed security arrangements were the cause of the mayhem.
An independent report found UEFA bore "primary responsibility" for the failures which almost led to the match becoming a "mass fatality catastrophe".
The report added it was "remarkable" that no one was killed on the night of the final.
(with AFP)
