Greenpeace apologises after protester parachutes on to pitch at Germany-France Euro 2020 football match

Greenpeace has apologised and Munich police are investigating after a protester parachuted into the stadium and injured two people before Germany’s game against France at the European Championship on Tuesday.

The protester used a powered paraglider with a motor attached to his back but lost control and hit overhead camera wires attached to the stadium roof, careering over spectators’ heads before he landed on the field ahead of the match. Debris fell on the field and main grandstand, narrowly missing France coach Didier Deschamps.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman on Wednesday condemned the Greenpeace stunt and said those behind it should reflect on what had happened.

“This was an irresponsible action that put people in great danger,” Steffen Seibert said, adding that it was a relief nothing more serious had happened.

Greenpeace spokesman Benjamin Stephan apologised for the botched protest and the injuries caused.

“The paraglider didn’t want to go into the stadium yesterday. The pilot wanted to fly over the stadium while maintaining the necessary safety distance and only let a balloon float into the stadium with a message to Volkswagen, a main sponsor, with the demand that they get out of the production of climate-damaging diesel and gasoline engines quicker,” Stephan said.

“And there was a technical problem during the flight over – the hand throttle of the electric para motor failed, and because there was no more thrust, the glider suddenly lost height.”