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Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan said treatment of the club’s fans attending the Champions League final in Paris against Real Madrid on Saturday was “unacceptable” and demanded a “transparent investigation” by UEFA.
The match, which Madrid eventually won 1-0, was delayed by 30 minutes amid chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France as thousands of Liverpool fans were stuck outside and subjected to pepper spray and tear gas by local police.
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UEFA said in a statement on Saturday that blame for the incidents were due to fans who had purchased fake tickets — they did not specify where they were from — contradicting a previous statement in which they said it was due to fans arriving late.
“We are intent on ensuring that there is an independent investigation and we, as the club, will be absolutely part of that and be co-operative,” Hogan said in a video message on Sunday.
“We understand that there were a lot of different experiences that took place over the course of the evening and it’s imperative that we hear from supporters.
“We want to make sure we get the facts and provide those facts to the relevant authorities … over the course of the coming days, we will be setting up a mechanism for supporters to reach out to us directly.”
Television footage showed images of young men jumping the gates of the stadium to gain entry. It’s unclear whether they were supporters of either team. Other people outside, including children, were tear-gassed by riot police, a Reuters witness said.
Some riot police officers stormed into the stadium while others charged at people trying to knock down stadium gates.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.