United states

Liverpool have demanded a formal investigation into the ugly scenes surrounding the Champions League final

The match, which Real Madrid won 1-0, was delayed by more than 35 minutes after Liverpool fans struggled to enter the stadium, despite the many arrivals hours before the start.

Tear gas was used by French police as supporters were held in densely packed areas around the Stade de France, sparking security concerns to spread among those who were there.

“We are extremely disappointed with the problems with entering the stadium and the destruction of the security perimeter that Liverpool fans faced tonight at the Stade de France,” Liverpool said in a statement.

“This is the greatest match in European football and the fans should not experience the scenes we witnessed tonight.

“We have officially requested a formal investigation into the causes of these unacceptable problems.”

The governing body of European football, UEFA, said the problem was caused by people without valid tickets trying to enter the stadium and that tear gas had been used to maintain control.

“On the eve of the match, the turnstiles at the end of Liverpool were blocked by thousands of fans who had bought fake tickets that did not work in the turnstiles,” said a statement from UEFA.

“It simply came to our notice then. As a result, the start was postponed by 35 minutes to allow as many fans with real tickets as possible to gain access.

“As the numbers outside the stadium continued to pile up after the start, the police sprayed them with tear gas and pushed them out of the stadium.

“UEFA sympathizes with those affected by these events and will review these issues urgently with the French police and authorities, as well as with the French Football Federation.

The photos show that the fans are crowded in fenced areas after a narrow space has formed around a particularly narrow entry point at the end of Liverpool.

Many ticket fans say they have been prevented from entering the stadium in dangerously crowded areas and that security communications have been poor.

“People without tickets broke down the barriers and tried to enter the stadium to watch the match,” a spokesman for the Paris police prefecture told CNN. “These attempts created movements of the crowd.”

As the confusion spread before the start, videos appeared on social media of people – without a clear team affiliation – swinging fences around the stadium and crashing into the ground.

The match eventually started, but there were many empty seats at the end of the Liverpool stadium.

Merseyside police, who attended the match as an observer and consultant, said that “most fans behaved in an exemplary manner, arriving early at the turnstiles and lining up as instructed.”

“Their observations will be passed on to the relevant authorities as part of the analysis of the game,” Assistant Chief of Police Chris Green said in a statement.

“We know that people were going to witness many disturbing scenes last night, and we wish everyone returning from Paris a safe journey.

“Our focus today will be to support the Liverpool City Council with the police in the return home parade.

After the match, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that the team knew about the incidents before the match and that their families were affected.

“I still couldn’t talk to my family, but I know the families had a real struggle to get into the stadium,” he said.

“I heard a few things that weren’t good, it was obviously quite complicated, but I don’t know more about it.”

Nigel Huddleston, the UK’s Minister for Sport, Tourism and Civil Society, tweeted that he was concerned about the “disappointing scenes” around the stadium and said his department would “work with the relevant authorities to find out what happened and why”. .