'Shambolic and dangerous': Chaos at Stade de France mars Champions League final
There were chaotic scenes at the Champions League football final in Paris on Saturday night, with long queues, kick-off delayed, police firing tear-gas and youths trying to force their way into the stadium.
The match between Real Madrid and Liverpool FC eventually got underway at 9.37pm, more than half an hour late, after chaotic scenes at the entry gates to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.
At the slated kick-off time of 9pm thousands of fans were still outside, with some having been queuing to get in for for more than two hours.
Problems are reported to have begun several hours before kick-off, with a pre-check of tickets and bags at the exit of the RER station at Stade de France turning into a dangerous bottleneck.
Police stopping fans by the subway trying to get to the stadium. This is 2 hours before kick off. These fans got up eventually and the gates were shut. pic.twitter.com/QTBzHzie9m
— Huyton Hammer (@theanfieldread) May 29, 2022
As the crush increased, the check was eventually waived, but many of the entry gates to the stadium were then closed after some people tried to force their way in.
Police then staged an intervention, including using tear gas, at the stadium after some fans tried to force their way into the ground, telling French media that the measure was "to repel attempts to intrude into the stadium".
In a statement released just as the match ended, organisers UEFA blamed "Liverpool fans who had purchased fake tickets" for the chaos.
The statement read: "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.
"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."
Meanwhile Liverpool FC has called for an investigation, saying in a statement: "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.
"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."
Football Supporters Europe, a lobbying group representing fans around the continent, hit back at the security arrangements.
"Fans at the Champions League final bear no responsibility for tonight's fiasco," it tweeted before the match finally got underway.
"Thousands are still trapped outside the stadium, remaining calm in the face of a completely unreasonable situation.
"We urge the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of all fans."
Pierre Barthélemy a lawyer for French supporters clubs was at the Stade de France monitoring the organisation of the day.
He said the blame lay with lack of organisation, crowd management and lack of information for Liverpool fans coming out of RER D that ended up with them stuck in a bottle neck for two and a half hours.
"People could have died in a crush," he told Le Parisien newspaper.
"I have to commend the Liverpool fans who remained well behaved despite the interminable wait, the lack of information and the tear gas," he said.
Kelly Cates, the daughter of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, described the pre-match scenes outside France's national stadium as "absolutely shambolic".
"No way in, no way of knowing which way to go. Stay safe if you're heading in," Cates posted on her Twitter account.
Several eye witnesses including journalists said those trying to force their way into the ground were local youths.
L’explication du coup d’envoi retardé. Des individus sans billets tentent de pénétrer de force dans le Stade de France 🤦🏻♂️ #LIVRMA #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/7R0OLCer6f
— Yohan Roblin (@yohanroblin) May 28, 2022
We have found over 30-40 French youths in the C and D blocks of the Stade de France who have stormed the stadium. This is not the fault of Liverpool fans. #bbcnews #bbcfootball#championsleague @liverpoolfc pic.twitter.com/NWlxrWLlZ4
— Dr Sach Mohan (@SachMohan) May 28, 2022
One French police union Synergie-Officiers said: "Hordes of thugs came en masse to rob and assault supporters."
Several videos posted on social media showed people either climbing over fences or trying to force their way into the stadium.
L’organisation catastrophique, c’est un véritable scandale pour une finale de ldc.
Nous sommes la honte de toute l’Europe.#LIVRMA
pic.twitter.com/LllF2n4Kqq
— Emboucaneur_13 (@Emboucaneur_13) May 28, 2022
Des supporters tentent d’accéder au Stade de France sans ticket ! pic.twitter.com/4rUlZtXwKM
— Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) May 28, 2022
However Liverpool fans who had tickets were caught up in the chaos, with police spraying tear gas at fans waiting outside - including children.
Pepper spraying fans outside stadium in Paris pic.twitter.com/drgzEpR9gD
— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) May 28, 2022
Des enfants ont reçu du gaz lacrymo. Une honte cette organisation...
🎥 @28mikec pic.twitter.com/TTR9aB3pH1
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) May 28, 2022
An AFP journalist on the scene reported that about 20 people succeeding in getting into the ground.
Many of the seats in the official Liverpool end of the ground remained empty 25 minutes after the scheduled start time. Kick-off was delayed twice, with an in-ground announcement saying it was down to "fans arriving late" while UEFA said they delay was "due to a security issue".
British football pundit Gary Lineker was among those stuck in the crowds outside, tweeting that he was "finding it impossible to get into the ground".
Finding it impossible to get in the ground. This appears to be very dangerous. Absolute carnage.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 28, 2022
I’m not sure it’s possible to have a more poorly organised event if you tried. Absolutely shambolic and dangerous. @UEFAcom
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 28, 2022
France's Interior minister Gérald Darmanin also weighed into the argument, blaming British fans.
He tweeted: "Thousands of British 'fans', without tickets or with fake tickets have forced the entrances and, sometimes, behaved violently towards stewards. Thank you to the many police forces mobilised tonight in this difficult context."
Avec @AOC1978, au PC sécurité du Stade de France. Des milliers de «supporters » britanniques, sans billet ou avec des faux billets ont forcé les entrées et, parfois, violenté les stadiers. Merci aux très nombreuses forces de l’ordre mobilisées ce soir dans ce contexte difficile. pic.twitter.com/gEXCqPhWmZ
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) May 28, 2022
Darmanin's statement was ridiculed by many on Twitter who posted videos of local youths trying to get into the ground.
The French police are charging fans and locals outside the Stade de France. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/stQkzX0l4G
— Jam Williams-Thomas (@JamAntonioTV) May 28, 2022
In a statement, the Paris police chief also blamed fans with no tickets or fake tickets for the chaos, claiming that their interventions had been to "restore order and remove those causing a disturbance".
Paris police came in for sharp criticism for their actions, especially the use of tear gas on fans outside the grounds.
#CLFINAL @LFCHELP @SPIRITOFSHANKLY
MERPOL was deployed to this evenings match. Can only describe it as the worst European match I've ever worked or experienced. I thought the behaviour of the fans at the turnstiles was exemplary in shocking circumstances. You were not late 100%
— MerPol Liverpool FC (@MerPolLFC) May 28, 2022
The statement from police said that "fans were dispersed without difficulty", adding that there had been no major incidents in either of the two fan zones.
However fans reported being tear gassed at the fanzone at the Cour de Vincennes whilst there were also images of French police wading in with batons to break up a fight on a cafe terrace.
Violente charge policière dans un bar à proximité de la fan zone de Liverpool à Nation, la situation dégénère. Les personnes en terrasse reçoivent des coups de matraques. #Liverpool #LIVRMA #LiverpoolVsRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/Wl0Vu2kMTd
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) May 28, 2022
#UCLfinal | Communiqué de presse sur les incidents en marge de la finale de la Ligue des Champions 👇 pic.twitter.com/mq2uAdmrQz
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) May 28, 2022
Paris police said there were 68 arrests in total in Paris and in Saint-Denis throughout the day including one man found with scores of fake tickets.
There were also scores of reports on Twitter of fans being mugged and attacked on the way home from the stadium by gangs of youths.
As estimated 60,000 Liverpool fans had travelled to Paris, most without tickets. Each club was allocated just 20,000 tickets for the 80,000-seater Stade de France.
The city of Paris had set up fan zones for fans without tickets - at Nation for Liverpool supporters and Saint-Denis for Real Madrid supporters. Both of these reached their full capacity before kick-off.
The match ended in a 1-0 win for the Spanish team.
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The match between Real Madrid and Liverpool FC eventually got underway at 9.37pm, more than half an hour late, after chaotic scenes at the entry gates to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.
At the slated kick-off time of 9pm thousands of fans were still outside, with some having been queuing to get in for for more than two hours.
Problems are reported to have begun several hours before kick-off, with a pre-check of tickets and bags at the exit of the RER station at Stade de France turning into a dangerous bottleneck.
Police stopping fans by the subway trying to get to the stadium. This is 2 hours before kick off. These fans got up eventually and the gates were shut. pic.twitter.com/QTBzHzie9m
— Huyton Hammer (@theanfieldread) May 29, 2022
As the crush increased, the check was eventually waived, but many of the entry gates to the stadium were then closed after some people tried to force their way in.
Police then staged an intervention, including using tear gas, at the stadium after some fans tried to force their way into the ground, telling French media that the measure was "to repel attempts to intrude into the stadium".
In a statement released just as the match ended, organisers UEFA blamed "Liverpool fans who had purchased fake tickets" for the chaos.
The statement read: "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.
"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."
Meanwhile Liverpool FC has called for an investigation, saying in a statement: "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.
"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."
Football Supporters Europe, a lobbying group representing fans around the continent, hit back at the security arrangements.
"Fans at the Champions League final bear no responsibility for tonight's fiasco," it tweeted before the match finally got underway.
"Thousands are still trapped outside the stadium, remaining calm in the face of a completely unreasonable situation.
"We urge the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of all fans."
Pierre Barthélemy a lawyer for French supporters clubs was at the Stade de France monitoring the organisation of the day.
He said the blame lay with lack of organisation, crowd management and lack of information for Liverpool fans coming out of RER D that ended up with them stuck in a bottle neck for two and a half hours.
"People could have died in a crush," he told Le Parisien newspaper.
"I have to commend the Liverpool fans who remained well behaved despite the interminable wait, the lack of information and the tear gas," he said.
Kelly Cates, the daughter of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, described the pre-match scenes outside France's national stadium as "absolutely shambolic".
"No way in, no way of knowing which way to go. Stay safe if you're heading in," Cates posted on her Twitter account.
Several eye witnesses including journalists said those trying to force their way into the ground were local youths.
L’explication du coup d’envoi retardé. Des individus sans billets tentent de pénétrer de force dans le Stade de France 🤦🏻♂️ #LIVRMA #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/7R0OLCer6f
— Yohan Roblin (@yohanroblin) May 28, 2022
We have found over 30-40 French youths in the C and D blocks of the Stade de France who have stormed the stadium. This is not the fault of Liverpool fans. #bbcnews #bbcfootball#championsleague @liverpoolfc pic.twitter.com/NWlxrWLlZ4
— Dr Sach Mohan (@SachMohan) May 28, 2022
One French police union Synergie-Officiers said: "Hordes of thugs came en masse to rob and assault supporters."
Several videos posted on social media showed people either climbing over fences or trying to force their way into the stadium.
L’organisation catastrophique, c’est un véritable scandale pour une finale de ldc.
— Emboucaneur_13 (@Emboucaneur_13) May 28, 2022
Nous sommes la honte de toute l’Europe.#LIVRMA
pic.twitter.com/LllF2n4Kqq
Des supporters tentent d’accéder au Stade de France sans ticket ! pic.twitter.com/4rUlZtXwKM
— Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) May 28, 2022
However Liverpool fans who had tickets were caught up in the chaos, with police spraying tear gas at fans waiting outside - including children.
Pepper spraying fans outside stadium in Paris pic.twitter.com/drgzEpR9gD
— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) May 28, 2022
Des enfants ont reçu du gaz lacrymo. Une honte cette organisation...
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) May 28, 2022
🎥 @28mikec pic.twitter.com/TTR9aB3pH1
An AFP journalist on the scene reported that about 20 people succeeding in getting into the ground.
Many of the seats in the official Liverpool end of the ground remained empty 25 minutes after the scheduled start time. Kick-off was delayed twice, with an in-ground announcement saying it was down to "fans arriving late" while UEFA said they delay was "due to a security issue".
British football pundit Gary Lineker was among those stuck in the crowds outside, tweeting that he was "finding it impossible to get into the ground".
Finding it impossible to get in the ground. This appears to be very dangerous. Absolute carnage.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 28, 2022
I’m not sure it’s possible to have a more poorly organised event if you tried. Absolutely shambolic and dangerous. @UEFAcom
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 28, 2022
France's Interior minister Gérald Darmanin also weighed into the argument, blaming British fans.
He tweeted: "Thousands of British 'fans', without tickets or with fake tickets have forced the entrances and, sometimes, behaved violently towards stewards. Thank you to the many police forces mobilised tonight in this difficult context."
Avec @AOC1978, au PC sécurité du Stade de France. Des milliers de «supporters » britanniques, sans billet ou avec des faux billets ont forcé les entrées et, parfois, violenté les stadiers. Merci aux très nombreuses forces de l’ordre mobilisées ce soir dans ce contexte difficile. pic.twitter.com/gEXCqPhWmZ
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) May 28, 2022
Darmanin's statement was ridiculed by many on Twitter who posted videos of local youths trying to get into the ground.
The French police are charging fans and locals outside the Stade de France. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/stQkzX0l4G
— Jam Williams-Thomas (@JamAntonioTV) May 28, 2022
In a statement, the Paris police chief also blamed fans with no tickets or fake tickets for the chaos, claiming that their interventions had been to "restore order and remove those causing a disturbance".
Paris police came in for sharp criticism for their actions, especially the use of tear gas on fans outside the grounds.
#CLFINAL @LFCHELP @SPIRITOFSHANKLY
— MerPol Liverpool FC (@MerPolLFC) May 28, 2022
MERPOL was deployed to this evenings match. Can only describe it as the worst European match I've ever worked or experienced. I thought the behaviour of the fans at the turnstiles was exemplary in shocking circumstances. You were not late 100%
The statement from police said that "fans were dispersed without difficulty", adding that there had been no major incidents in either of the two fan zones.
However fans reported being tear gassed at the fanzone at the Cour de Vincennes whilst there were also images of French police wading in with batons to break up a fight on a cafe terrace.
Violente charge policière dans un bar à proximité de la fan zone de Liverpool à Nation, la situation dégénère. Les personnes en terrasse reçoivent des coups de matraques. #Liverpool #LIVRMA #LiverpoolVsRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/Wl0Vu2kMTd
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) May 28, 2022
#UCLfinal | Communiqué de presse sur les incidents en marge de la finale de la Ligue des Champions 👇 pic.twitter.com/mq2uAdmrQz
— Préfecture de Police (@prefpolice) May 28, 2022
Paris police said there were 68 arrests in total in Paris and in Saint-Denis throughout the day including one man found with scores of fake tickets.
There were also scores of reports on Twitter of fans being mugged and attacked on the way home from the stadium by gangs of youths.
As estimated 60,000 Liverpool fans had travelled to Paris, most without tickets. Each club was allocated just 20,000 tickets for the 80,000-seater Stade de France.
The city of Paris had set up fan zones for fans without tickets - at Nation for Liverpool supporters and Saint-Denis for Real Madrid supporters. Both of these reached their full capacity before kick-off.
The match ended in a 1-0 win for the Spanish team.
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