Authorities say thieves using pepper spray deliberately set off a panic in a crowd of Juventus fans watching last year's Champions League final in a Turin piazza, which injured about 1,500 people.

The news agency ANSA reported Friday that authorities have identified eight people suspected in using the spray to set off panic and rob spectators packed in Piazza San Carlo to watch Juventus play Real Madrid on giant TV screens. Telephone intercepts for another investigation caught them discussing a necklace worth several hundred euros that was stolen during the panic.

City officials were criticized in the wake of the stampede for not having effective safety measures in place. Initial reports said a loud sound set off the panic, spreading fear in the crowd that it was an attack.