The circumstances affecting Liverpool fans in Paris have been dubbed the “worst” seen at a European football match by a UK police force. The Reds lost to Real Madrid at the Stade de France, just north of the city, on Saturday evening.
However, scenes outside the ground saw supporters with tickets made to wait in huge queues until after the match began. Fans affected by the situation said police officers used pepper-spray “unprovoked” while they were waiting to get in.
Uefa said the delay was caused by the late arrival of Liverpool fans, but the club said that was “totally inaccurate”. A Merseyside Police spokesperson said on Twitter: “MERPOL was deployed to this evening’s match.
“Can only describe it as the worst European match I’ve ever worked or experienced. I thought the behaviour of the fans at the turnstiles was exemplary in shocking circumstances. You were not late 100%.”
Fans swore at armed police officers in the area as they left, saying their tactics led to the mayhem. Prefecture de Police, the Parisian police force, said in a statement queues formed after fans arrived without tickets.
It continued: “Exerting strong pressure to enter the enclosure, these supporters delayed access to spectators with tickets. Taking advantage of this action, a number of people managed to cross the gates protecting the stadium enclosure.
“The rapid intervention of the police allowed the return to calm and the evacuation of the disturbers outside the forecourt of the Stade de France. The dispersal of the spectators takes place without difficulty. No major incident was observed in the two fan zones.”
One supporter could be heard saying he was left waiting outside for four hours with a ticket due to the delays. Speaking after the game, supporter Robbie, 24, said: “I got pepper-sprayed, the first time that’s ever happened to me.
“It was unprovoked, people were just standing there waving at the police to let us in, we had tickets. Police were just spraying us for no reason, even kids and older people, it was bad.”
He said fans had not been acting inappropriately at the time. However, some Liverpool fans could be seen arguing with Real Madrid supporters and locals outside the stadium after the match.
Footage on social media appeared to show people climbing over barriers as crowds built up, and the kick-off was delayed by more than 30 minutes. Police carrying shields and riot gear had moved into the area shortly after 8pm.
Supporters showed what appeared to be tickets to officers after a gate was closed, denying them entry. Bottles were thrown at the officers who responded with tear gas, leaving some fans holding their eyes.
A Uefa statement read: “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. "
Liverpool later released a statement calling for a thorough investigation into events outside the ground. A club spokesperson added: “We are hugely disappointed at the stadium entry issues and breakdown of the security perimeter that Liverpool fans faced this evening at the Stade de France."
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