Real Madrid Beats Liverpool In Champions League Final Marred By Chaos; UK Calls For Investigation
Keneci Channel
Liverpool lost to Real Madrid, in the Champions League final Saturday, at the Stade de France in Paris. Vinicius Junior appeared completely unmarked at the far post on the hour mark to turn home Federico Valverde's low cross and secure the 1-0 win and the Spanish team's 14th European crown.
The match which started 36 minutes late, was marred by unsavory chaotic scenes both within and outside the stadium. Real Madrid fans filled their end of the stadium almost entirely more than an hour before kick-off.
It took a little while longer for Liverpool supporters to filter into the stadium ground, with many fans unable to get in. Riot police in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis repeatedly fired tear gas at the frustrated English team's supporters forced to endure long waits to get into the stadium.
Videos circulating online show some soccer fans climbing over the stadium fence, and shouts of "Let us in. We've got tickets," can be heard. The game kicked off at 9.37 p.m. local time despite frustrated supporters still trying to get into the stadium.
Paris police said they made 105 arrests at the game, with 39 people still in custody.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the governing body of European soccer, and French authorities blamed British supporters for the chaos. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin alleged British fans without tickets or with counterfeit tickets had forced entry and in some cases, assaulted stewards.
"This created a buildup of fans trying to get in," UEFA said in a statement. "As a result, the kickoff 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 kickoff, the police dispersed them with tear gas and forced them away from the stadium."
However Liverpool defender Andy Robertson reportedly criticized UEFA's handling of the event and French police for using tear gas on fans.
Robertson also hit back at claims about counterfeit tickets: "Someone told one of my mates he had a fake ticket, which I assure you it wasn't because it was obviously through me."
Commentator and former Liverpool defender Jim Beglin said fans departing the stadium after the match were assaulted and robbed by local gangs. "Post-match last night was the scariest I've ever experienced," he tweeted. "Organised gangs set about mugging departing fans... We ran a gauntlet of thuggery on our way to the Metro. Not a police officer in sight. Witnessed so many ambush attacks on unsuspecting attendees. Reprehensible @UEFA."
Liverpool FC said it had requested a formal investigation. "We are hugely disappointed at the stadium entry issues and breakdown of the security perimeter that Liverpool fans faced," the club said in a statement. "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."
United Kingdom's culture and sports secretary Nadine Dorries said: "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 Francaise de Football, Merseyside Police and Liverpool Football Club."