In the aftermath of the mayhem at last week’s Champions League final in Paris, the French sport minister’s top assistant has resigned after only a week on the job.
According to local media, Philippe Mahe, who had been hired as Amelie Oudea-adviser Castera’s in late May, left her office by ‘mutual agreement’ last week.
It follows Mahe’s failure to appear beside Ms Oudea-Castera, who has only been in her position for two weeks, at a Senate session on Wednesday.
The session was set so she and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin could be quizzed about the mayhem during the athletic event on Saturday night.
Both attempted to blame the problems on Liverpool supporters and ‘industrial-scale ticket fraud,’ while exonerating the organizers, police, and stewards.
Mr Mahe’s departure was initially reported by the French news site Le Telegramme, which stated that he will leave his position by the end of the week.
Ms Oudea-Castera was thrust into the limelight after Liverpool fans complained about unsafe conditions at the Stade de France during Saturday’s Champions League final versus Real Madrid.
Supporters claimed they were beaten and robbed by local troublemakers as they waited in long lines for hours to get inside the stadium.
The game had to be postponed twice due to the pandemonium, with police eventually using tear gas to restore order.
Officials in France admit that 2,700 people who had purchased genuine tickets for the event were unable to take their seats.
Ms Oudea-Castera and Mr Darmanin tried to blame the chaos on the supporters right away, claiming that up to 45,000 people arrived with bogus tickets and then attacked police and stewards when they were denied access.