The head of policing at the Champions League final in Paris has apologised for using tear gas on Liverpool fans but said he had no alternative.
Didier Lallement admitted the security operation was "obviously a failure".
But he defended the tactics he used as chaotic scenes unfolded outside the Stade de France last month, insisting his "red line" was to save lives.
French authorities blamed late arrivals and fake tickets for overcrowding and chaotic scenes before the match.
The fiasco outside the stadium has prompted uproar in France as well as the UK and Spain.