Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy has opened up about his ‘frightening’ experience at the Champions League final and said he ‘came close to death’.
Liverpool fans faced chaos and horrifying scenes at May’s Champions League final at the Stade de France. Supporters faced serious organisational issues outside the stadium before kick off, as the game was delayed by 36 mins.
Videos also emerged of Liverpool fans being pepper-sprayed and tear-gassed by French security forces and not allowed to enter into the stadium despite purchasing legitimate tickets. There were also horrifying reports of Reds fans being attacked and mugged by locals in Paris both before and after the game.
READ MORE: Liverpool unleashing new formation can transform midfielder 'loved' by Jurgen Klopp
READ MORE: Liverpool stance on Mohamed Salah contract and Jude Bellingham transfer explained
Further investigations have taken place to pinpoint the causes of the lack of organisation. The French senate is hearing accounts from Liverpool fans and UEFA as part of their probe into the incident.
And Kennedy explained it was one of the most terrifying encounters he has had.
"It was a scary night. It was the most frightening experience I have ever had in a football stadium,” he told GB News .
“I was like every other supporter. At the time, I was finding my way into the stadium and my son was helping me along the way and we seemed to get funnelled into an end where there wasn't, there was no answer, there was no end to it.
“And I eventually was hauled over a fence which must have been six to eight feet high by a couple of lads and my son and I were out of danger at that particular time but I'll tell you I was close to death. I was that scared. I've never been in that situation before and I never want to see it again.
"And hopefully when they have this investigation, they will go through all people's [experiences] at that particular time and come up with hopefully the right answer.
To explain the original delay to the match, UEFA first blamed the late arrival of fans before later releasing a statement pointing the blame at the issues of fake tickets. They subsequently announced an investigation into what went on.
However, French members of government such as French Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin and Sports minister Amelie Oudea-Costera, blamed British fans as the cause of the unrest outside the ground. And Kennedy believes the handling of the whole event was poor.
"I didn't think security was handled very well and particularly when you got to the actual ticket.
“They were having problems that obviously there were one or two forgeries going about at that particular time but nobody seemed to be funnelling you in the right direction.
“No matter where I went, I had problems and again, being hauled over an eight-foot high fence wasn't the ideal action, and it’s just as well I did because I think I would have been in real trouble.
"So that was really the big, big problem…can I just say all the police, OK, who worked fine at the time, but they used the pepper spray a little bit too much for my liking.
"They thought everybody was a troublemaker and they would instantly get it out and flash it in your face."
