French government says "there was no drama" at soccer final, despite crowd trouble

PARIS : The French government said on Wednesday "there was no drama" at last weekend's Champions League soccer final in Paris, which was marred by crowd trouble, as it faces mounting criticism over its handling of the showpiece match.

"We could have handled it better but there was no drama," government spokesperson Olivia Gregoire told reporters.

The May 28 match at the Stade de France, in which Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0, was delayed by more than half an hour after police tried to hold off people attempting to force their way into the ground. Some fans, including children, were tear-gassed by French riot police.