Didier Lallement, who said he was “wounded by the failure” at the Stade de France in the Champions League final, will be formally replaced as the head of the Paris police on Thursday.

Crowd issues before and ok the game cast a shadow over Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory against Liverpool as Reds supporters, including small children, were trampled, doused in tear gas, and denied entry despite having tickets.

Lallement blamed the mishap in large part on the actions of Liverpool fans, but later issued an apology to them in June, claiming he was “the only one accountable” for the happenings.

His departure is not directly related to what happened in Saint-Denis because he had previously informed his troops that he will retire this summer in advance of turning 66 on August 27.

Lallement will be succeeded by former junior interior minister Laurent Nunez, according to France’s Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin, who also thanked Lallement for his work.

Wednesday, he posted on Twitter, “The President of the Republic appointed Laurent Nunez Prefect of Police, on my request.

“It is the decision of a seasoned individual who is well familiar with the Prefecture of Police and has held numerous national positions. We will put the safety of the people of the Ile-de-France first.

“I would like to pay tribute to Didier Lallement for his actions, in difficult conditions, in a context of significant terrorist threat, at the head of the Prefecture of Police over the past three years. He is a credit to the Republic.”

In a letter delivered to police officers on Wednesday, Lallement stated that his three and a half year tenure will only be marred by the last debacle.

The letter, which was made public by AFP, stated, “I’m still hurt from the failure of the Stade de France.”

“We undoubtedly saved lives that evening, but the nation’s standing took a hit. I’m sorry that the French flag has been tarnished, but I also have a duty to take responsibility for it.”

Darmanin persisted in blaming the violence on Liverpool fans, alleging that 35,000 had arrived with bogus tickets; however, a damning French Senate investigation released last week said that this was done to “divert attention” from organizational flaws.