Liverpool supporters were subjected to tear gas in a Paris fan park after the Champions League final.
Crowds near the Cours de Vincennes fan zone were forced to disperse at full-time as fan was thrown into the area, although it is unclear what their motives were. The entire event at the Stade de France was marred by horrendous scenes before and after kick-off, which eventually saw the Champions League final delayed by over half an hour as fans clashed with police outside the stadium.
Reds supporters faced pepper spray, which was used by police as crowds attempted to get into the stadium before the original kick-off time. Some supporters have been accused of making their way into the Stade de France without tickets, whilst there were also videos of fans climbing over the gates. Paris Police have confirmed that 68 arrests were made in connection with the events.
Real Madrid ran out 1-0 winners on the night thanks to a Vinicius Jnr goal in the second-half as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was named the Man of the Match. The Reds however has demanded answers following the treatment of their fans.
A club statement from Liverpool FC 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."
UEFA has blamed the issues on “fake tickets” as they too released a statement which read: “In the lead-up to the game, the turnstiles at the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands 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 star Andy Robertson responded to those claims after a friend of his was denied entry for supposedly having a fake ticket. The Scot told BBC Sport: "One of my mates got told it was a fake which I assure you it wasn't. It was a shambles really."
He went on to say: "To be honest people were just making it up at times and panicking. Tear gas getting thrown at people was unacceptable. It was horrendous for our fans and all families that have been through it as well. It wasn't a nice experience, not a nice final to come to. The Champions League should be a celebration but it wasn't that.
"Obviously the final wasn't meant to be here and whether the preparations were not as good as maybe they should have been but I am sure in the coming days an inquest will go into that."
This was the third time the Stade de France had hosted the Champions League final, the most recent of which being in 2006. The stadium also regularly hosts France games and was the venue for the World Cup final in 1998 and the Euro 2016 final so is adept at hosting major finals.
However there will be a major inquest into the reasons for the delayed kick-off and the police's actions. As kick-off neared its original 8pm kick-off time there were still huge sections of empty seats, which eventually forced the delayed start.
Lineker, who was in attendance of the game, was caught up in the chaos as he called out UEFA for blaming the delay on the fans. He tweeted: "Finding it impossible to get in the ground. This appears to be very dangerous. Absolute carnage.
"I’m not sure it’s possible to have a more poorly organised event if you tried. Absolutely shambolic and dangerous. @UEFAcom. They’ve just announced another 15-minute delay 'because of the late arrival of fans'. Utter bull****."
Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish tweeted: "The Liverpool fans are special. The way they were treated by authorities was an absolute joke. Nobody should ever be afraid to go to a football game. Thank you to everyone who came to Paris. The Fan Park was unbelievable. I hope you all get home safe. What a season! YNWA"
Dalglish's daughter, Kelly Cates, said on social media: "Absolutely shambolic at the Stade de France. No way in, no way of knowing which way to go. Stay safe if you’re heading in. It has the potential to be very dangerous."
