UEFA has claimed that “thousands” of supporters trying to get into the Stade de France with fake tickets led to delays in Saturday’s Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Massive queues formed outside locked gates in the hours prior to kickoff, and the game was ultimately delayed on three separate occasions before kicking off 36 minutes later than planned.
Multiple supporters and journalists claimed to have been tear-gassed by riot police, with videos shared on social media appearing to back up their accusations, and UEFA cited “late fans” as the reason for the delays on the big screen.
A further statement from the governing body has since alleged that Liverpool fans with counterfeit tickets were to blame for the disruption in Saint-Denis.
“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,” the statement read.
“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.
“As numbers outside the stadium continued to build up after kick-off, the police dispersed them with tear gas and forced them away from the stadium.
“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.”
Liverpool released a statement of their own during the game, with the Reds primed to request a formal investigation into the “unacceptable” scenes in the capital.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side were on top for the majority of the encounter, but Vinicius Junior‘s second-half goal handed Real their 14th European Cup/Champions League crown courtesy of a 1-0 win.
