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UEFA has issued a statement in response to the security issue that prevented thousand of fans from entering Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final in Paris.
The start of the match, an eventual 1–0 Real Madrid victory over Liverpool, was delayed by 30–plus minutes due to logistical issues outside the Stade de France. According to multiple reports, the incident was the result of a system failure that kept ticketed fans from gaining entry, as well as several instances of fans attempting to force their way past security and enter without tickets.
After initially citing “the late of arrival of fans” as the reason for the delay, UEFA explained the unexpected interruption was caused by spectators attempting to gain entry with fake tickets.
“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,” the statement read in part.
UEFA also confirmed multiple reports detailing the use of pepper spray by the French police in an effort to control the large crowd, the majority of whom were Liverpool supporters. Some of the affected spectators reportedly had tickets and had been attempting to enter the venue for over an hour.
The organization concluded its statement vowing to “urgently” review the matter.
“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.”
UEFA’s response is the second call for action following Saturday’s chaos. Liverpool requested a formal investigation into the situation shortly after the match’s conclusion; Real Madrid has yet to issue a statement.
