The head of security at Lens has rejected talk that his team
were heavy-handed with Manchester United fans.
United's 1-0 win over Lille in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday
night was overshadowed by events off the pitch.
Trouble broke out at Lens' Stade Felix-Bollaert stadium with
several fans appearing to be crushed due to over-crowding in the
United end of the ground.
Tear gas was used by police to try and stop the supporters from
climbing barriers as they tried to avoid being crushed.
Uefa has launched an investigation into the incidents, but the
chief of security at Lens, Damien Vanoise, has defended his
colleagues' actions.
"I think we responded to what happened," Vanoise told French radio
station RTL.
"We didn't intervene by chance.
"There was not even a problem of communication. From the moment we
saw the supporters who were trying to pull on the railings, what is
the interpretation we can make from that - us, as security guards?
For me, it is violent behaviour."
Vanoise also insisted that no one got crushed and that there were
not too many people in the visitors' stand.
"I can tell you that nobody was crushed in the wire fencing," added
Vanoise.
"There weren't too many people in that stand. The stand was not
full."