Chaos ensued on Saturday night as police deployed pepper spray and tear gas on Liverpool fans outside the Champions League final at Stade de France in Paris.
Footage circulated social media showing thousands of Liverpool supporters stuck outside the stadium in the lead-up to Saturday’s match, which Real Madrid won 1-0. The Associated Press reports the game was delayed for 37 minutes due to security struggling to control the flow of fans being let into the stadium.
“In the lead-up to the game, the turnstiles at the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands of fans who purchased fake tickets which did not work in the turnstiles,” UEFA said in a statement.
“This created a buildup of fans trying to get in. 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.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool is calling for an official investigation into the chaotic situation that took place outside of the stadium.
“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.”
