Liverpool have announced that they have requested a formal investigation into the “unacceptable” scenes outside the Stade de France ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.
Thousands of fans were stranded outside the ground for hours on end, with queues forming outside locked gates and torrid scenes of unrest being posted on social media ahead of kickoff.
The match was delayed a total of three times and ultimately kicked off at 8:36PM UK time, with UEFA citing “late fans” as the reason for the delays, which was heavily criticized by all quarters.
Supporters and journalists claimed to have been sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray by riot police outside the ground, and Liverpool responded with an official statement during the game.
“We are hugely disappointed at the stadium entry issues and breakdown of the security perimeter that Liverpool fans faced this evening at Stade de France,” the statement read.
“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.”
Vinicius Junior‘s strike handed Los Blancos their 14th European Cup/Champions League crown with a 1-0 win over the Reds, who were thwarted by Thibaut Courtois on nine occasions – the most saves by a goalkeeper in a Champions League final since 2003.
