A Liverpool FC fan was reunited with his Breitling watch months after it was stolen from him outside the Champions League final.
The unknown fan was reunited with the watch over two months after it was taken from him by a suspected thief outside the Stade de France on May 28. French media organisation France24 reported the Breitling watch, worth several thousands of pounds, was among several items recovered from a suspected thief who was arrested following the match.
The match between LFC and Real Madrid was marred by events outside the stadium including fans being crushed while trying to enter the stadium, being tear-gassed by police, and victims of theft and some were assaulted by local thugs. Fans were targeted as they made their way to local train stations with some telling the ECHO they "feared" for their lives.
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French prosecutor Eric Mathais, from the Paris suburb of Bobigny, wrote on Twitter a general investigation was opened on June 10 into the aggregated thefts and violence. Mr Mathais said around 240 complaints had been filed with French police over the violence and thefts.
He added he was "hopeful" a number of perpetrators will be "identified, tried and the victims can file civil suits". He mentioned one specific case where a fan, who has his watch stolen outside the stadium, was reunited with it months later.
The French authorities found a match between the recovered watch and a complaint from a British LFC fan who had been in Paris for the match. Mr Mathais said: "In one of the proceedings on the evening of the final, a number of obviously stolen objects had been seized.
"The cell's investigations made it possible to identify the English owner of a luxury watch. Discussions took place with him and he was able, during a trip to France, to pick up his watch at the Bobigny court on Tuesday (August 2)."
The expensive Breitling watch was among a number of objects thrown away by the suspect when he was arrested by the police. The man was sentenced in an immediate appearance two days later. As part of the police investigation, officers found a match between the watch and a complaint from the fan.
A recent French senate report completely exonerated fans of any blame and instead focused on a number of organisational failures from the authorities. And the ECHO reported this week that two separate claims are being taken against event organisers UEFA for the fan experience at the match.
Binghams Solicitors and PGMBM are now investigating legal action against UEFA on behalf of fans who were harmed physically and psychology and are considering claims related to breach of contract and negligence. They documented one fan's experience, Mattie Douglas, who claimed to be suffering from "PTSD" after being caught in the crush outside the stadium.
The day before law firm Leigh Day said it had been contacted by a number of Reds fans and was also actively investigating a potential group claim. The team at the firm believes between 5-10,000 people could be affected and would be able to join the claim.
An independent UEFA investigation into the events at the Stade de France is expected to be published in September.
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