PARIS –
Riot police fired tear gas and pepper spray at Liverpool fans forced to endure long waits to enter the Champions League final amid logistical chaos and an attempt by UEFA and French authorities to blame the overcrowding to turnstiles to people trying to enter the stadium with fake tickets. Saturday.
The start of the most important match of the European football season, which Liverpool lost 1-0 to Real Madrid, was delayed by 37 minutes and began because security was still struggling with the flow of frustrated fans in the Stade de France.
UEFA claimed that thousands of fans without tickets were trying to enter the French national stadium with more than 80,000 seats, but did not identify where they were from.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has called for commissioners to be attacked by British people who forced their way in without tickets or counterfeit tickets. French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra also overlooked the authorities’ shortcomings in stating that thousands of English fans were “complicating the work of commissioners and police forces” and tweeting: “Violence has no place. in the stadiums “.
Liverpool said they were “very disappointed” with the safety concerns of their fans.
Angry Liverpool fans held in line were hanging on the railings and heard shouting, “Let us in. We have tickets.”
There were many cases of fans breaking security and trying to enter the stadium. The Associated Press saw two fans, one wearing Liverpool suits, fighting on the ground for administrators and coming out of the gates.
Three more fans were seen evading the curators and sprinting down the lobby to the lower level of the stadium. Other people, who were not wearing any obvious club clothes, climbed the fences while Liverpool fans shouted at them to come down.
The final started even though the fans were still trying to get past the ticket controls. Riot police fired new rounds of tear gas from inside the security perimeter at people outside the fences. Police and administrators were seen falling to the ground, hit by eye irritants.
There was anger in the Liverpool squad after losing the final.
“I think almost all of our families were affected,” said Liverpool defender Andy Robertson. “Obviously my tickets were through the club and somehow someone told one of my teammates that I had a fake ticket which I can assure you was definitely not because it was obviously through me.
“Then, obviously, the French police decided to throw tear gas at fans and families. It has not been well organized.”
Merseyside police, the Liverpool force, tweeted that “the behavior of turnstile fans was exemplary in shocking circumstances.”
Supporter Colm Lacey saw “children crying, people trapped” outside the entrances.
“People started jumping their tails, then they opened the door and then there was a push,” Lacey said.
About 15 minutes before the scheduled start of 9pm local time, it was announced that there would be a delay, blaming the late arrival of fans at the stadium. He was greeted with mockery inside the stadium, as those fans had already endured long queues. The match finally started at 21.37
“We’ve been standing at this door since 6:15,” Liverpool fan Angela Murphy told the AP through a fence. “I have very bad asthma and I’ve been given tear gas twice. I’m struggling a lot.”
When asked what caused the tear gas, Murphy replied, “Nothing, we’re here. There was nothing. It was just horrible. We got along well.”
Police officers with batons and riot shields rushed from door to door to prevent fans’ pockets from being forced into the stadium without showing tickets. A policeman collapsed to the ground and had to be assisted by other officers. Officers repeatedly used tear gas on Liverpool fans.
A Liverpool fan kissed his ticket and looked up at the sky after finally passing security.
Liverpool supporter Joe Moorcroft complained of being treated like animals.
“It simply came to our notice then. We’ve seen this before, it’s a health risk, “he said. “We’ve seen it and it’s going to happen again. I’m sorry now. They threw tear gas at the fans.”
UEFA said it was “compatible with those affected” and announced an urgent review by French police and authorities along with the French Football Federation.
“In the run-up to the match, Liverpool’s turnstiles were blocked by thousands of fans who bought fake tickets that did not work on turnstiles,” UEFA said in a statement.
“This created an accumulation of fans trying to get in. As a result, the start was delayed by 35 minutes to allow as many fans with genuine tickets as possible to access it. As the number outside the “Stadium continued to increase after the start match, police dispersed them with tear gas and forced them out of the stadium.”
Liverpool wants a formal investigation.
“We are very disappointed with the problems entering the stadium and the breakdown of the safety perimeter that Liverpool fans were facing,” the club said in a statement. “This is the best match in European football and fans should not experience the scenes we witnessed tonight.”
The scenes were reminiscent of the chaos outside Wembley Stadium before last year’s European Championship final. This was due in large part to the English fans who aggressively tried to enter his stadium for the match that Italy won.