Champions League Final: French sports minister blames Liverpool fans for causing security breakdown
India Today
There were sporadic instances of fan violence and French police using tear gas outside the Stade de France in Paris ahead of the Champions League final match between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
The French sports minister said that Liverpool fans with fake tickets were responsible for causing initial crowd problems at the Stade de France during the Champions League final match.
The final between Liverpool and eventual champions Real Madrid was delayed by more than 30 minutes due to the late arrival of fans to the venue.
There were sporadic instances of fan violence and French police using tear gas outside the stadium ahead of kick-off. According to reports, fans without tickets tried to break through security and attempted to get inside the venue.
"What we really have to bear in mind is that what happened first of all was this mass gathering of British supporters of the Liverpool club, without tickets, or with fake tickets," French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera told French radio RTL.
"When there are that many people by the entrance to the stadium, there will be people trying to force their way in through the doors of the Stade de France, and a certain number of youths from the nearby area who were present tried to get in by mixing in with the crowd," she said.
Real Madrid won their record-extending 14th Champions League crown after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Liverpool on May 29 (IST).
