Jake Humphrey has quickly backtracked on a tweet he put out regarding Saturday's Champions League final and BT Sport's record viewing figures.
The showpiece event in Paris was won by Real Madrid, who claimed their 14th European Cup by seeing off Liverpool in the Stade de France courtesy of Vinicius Jnr's second-half strike. Humphrey led BT's coverage, with Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen providing the insight.
It resulted in over 12 million viewers, something Humphrey was happy to rejoice in on Twitter. He began his tweet by saying: "Despite the result for Liverpool and the issues surrounding the game". That has instead resulted in heavy criticism on social media as fans were harshly dealt with before kick-off.
The lead up to the game, as well as the aftermath, were overshadowed by unsavoury scenes as French police used tear gas on Liverpool fans. Supporters have faced accusations of using fake tickets - which has been swiftly denied by several parties.
Humphrey's tweet has landed him in hot water with many accusing him of placing more onus on the viewing figures. One said: "Well, there's good news and bad news. The bad news is that Liverpool fans were attacked and tear gassed. The good news is we had a record audience. You're still thinking about the bad news aren't you?"
Another added: "As long as you got those viewing numbers ay". That sentiment continued as the inquest into the scenes in the French capital continued. Andy Robertson spoke after the Reds' loss and hit back at claims a friend of his was accused of trying to use a fake ticket.
UEFA themselves said in a statement: "In the lead-up to the game, the turnstiles at the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets which did not work in the turnstiles. This created a build-up of fans trying to get in. As a result, the kick off was delayed by 35 minutes to allow as many fans as possible with genuine tickets to gain access.
"As numbers outside the stadium continued to build up after kick off, the police dispersed them with tear gas and forced them away from the stadium. UEFA is sympathetic to those affected by these events and will further review these matters urgently together with the French police and authorities, and with the French Football Federation."
Liverpool however hit back in their own statement which read: "We are hugely disappointed at the stadium entry issues and breakdown of the security perimeter that Liverpool fans faced this evening at Stade de France. This is the greatest match in European football and supporters should not have to experience the scenes we have witnessed tonight. We have officially requested a formal investigation into the causes of these unacceptable issues."
