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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Nathan Ridley

Liverpool chief outlines next steps in UEFA probe as fans urged to come forward

Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan has pledged to set up a mechanism for supporters to contact the club directly and detail their horrific experiences during the chaos of Saturday's Champions League final.

The Reds head honcho has also laid out the next steps which his club will take in responding to the distressing situation. It comes after Anfield chiefs urged UEFA to launch a full investigation into the scenes which saw Liverpool fans tear-gassed, stranded in queues for hours and attacked by riot police in Paris prior to their agonising 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid at the Stade de France.

Hogan confirmed to his club's website : "Last night was incredibly difficult, a disappointing night. What happened outside the stadium completely overshadowed it. The stadium entry and breakdown of security was absolutely unacceptable. And frankly the treatment of our fans as well.

"We are asking for a full and transparent investigation, an independent investigation. It is imperative we understand what happened last night. It's important we understand what happened and take whatever the lessons are. First off I think the most important thing is I hope people are safe.

"We understand there were a lot of different experiences that took place. It's imperative we hear form supporters. We want to provide those facts to the relevant authorities. In the coming days we will be setting up a mechanism for supporters to reach out to us directly to provide their experiences and accounts of what happened."

Fans were seen protecting themselves from tear gas (REUTERS)

The UK Government are behind the club's call for a "formal investigation" into the chaos, as culture Secretary Nadine Dorries declared on Sunday: "The footage and accounts from Liverpool fans and the media on their entry to the Stade de France last night are deeply concerning. Thousands of ticket holders travelled to Paris in good time to support their team in the biggest match of their season.

"I urge UEFA to launch a formal investigation into what went wrong and why, in coordination with stadium staff, the French Police, Federation Française de Football, Merseyside Police and Liverpool Football Club. It is in the interests of everyone involved to understand what happened and to learn lessons from these events."

Riot police were deployed (AFP via Getty Images)

UEFA, however, contest that fake tickets were the root cause of the situation, having initially claimed that it was due to the late arrival of fans. Merseyside Police had officers deployed in Paris to work in an observer and advisory capacity, and stated that the majority of fans had behaved in an "exemplary" manner, arriving at turnstiles early and queueing as directed.

They added that those officers would contribute their observations to the relevant authorities for the debrief. Assistant Chief Constable Chris Green added: "We know that people would have witnessed a lot of distressing scenes last night and we wish everyone returning home from Paris a safe journey."

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