Liverpool say French ministers ‘deflecting responsibility’ for Champions League chaos

Chief executive Billy Hogan says club 'incredibly surprised' by comments about fake tickets and fans turning up late for match

Liverpool fans waiting to get into the Stade de France in Paris before the Champions League final. Getty

Gaps in the Liverpool end as fans struggle to get into the ground before kick-off. EPA

Liverpool fans waiting to get into the Stade de France in Paris before the Champions League final. PA

The giant screen showing that the kick-off has been depalyed due to late arriving fans. PA

Police officers on horseback as Spanish fans gather near Stade de France. Getty

Liverpool fans queue to gain entry to the stadium as Kick off is delayed ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final at the Stade de France, Paris. Picture date: Saturday May 28, 2022.

Fans waiting outside the gates to enter the stadium. PA

Police spray tear gas at Liverpool fans outside the stadium. Getty

Liverpool fans cover their faces after being sprayed by pepper spray. PA

Liverpool fans are seen queuing outside the stadium. Getty

Liverpool fans are seen queuing outside the stadium. Getty

Liverpool fans cover their faces after being sprayed by pepper spray. Getty

An angry Liverpool fan before the game. Getty

Gaps in the Liverpool end as fans struggle to get into the ground before kick-off. Getty

Liverpool fans queue to gain entry to the stadium. PA

Liverpool's chief executive has accused French authorities of trying to “deflect responsibility” for the chaotic scenes that marred the start of Saturday’s Champions League final in Paris.

Uefa announced on Monday evening it had commissioned an independent report into the scenes outside the Stade de France that saw Liverpool fans tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed by riot police as they waited in huge queues prior to the game against Real Madrid.

The governing body initially blamed the late arrival of fans for the problems, which included some supporters being crushed, before later issuing a statement referring to fake tickets as the cause.

French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera reiterated the latter claims on Monday, while French interior minister Gerald Darmanin alleged “fraud at an industrial level” leading to the fiasco. She added that the problem was exacerbated later by local youths trying to force their way in to the game.

Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan told the club’s website: “I would just say we are incredibly surprised that someone in that position would make comments in the first place at this point, when we haven’t had adequate time to understand what happened. There hasn’t been an independent investigation to establish all the facts.

“We should know all the facts to make sure that the scenes that we’ve all seen – absolutely disgraceful – from Saturday don’t ever happen again.

“Making comments as deeply unhelpful as that, we just feel that everyone should be focused on getting the investigation right and less about making inflammatory comments that attempt to deflect responsibility for what happened on Saturday night.

“I think it’s important that folks know that our chairman, Tom Werner, sent a letter to the French minister to articulate our views and is calling for an apology to our fans for those comments.”

French police met with local authorities and match organisers on Monday to review events that caused the biggest match in European club football to be delayed by 36 minutes.

French interior minister Darmanin said at a press conference: “There was massive fraud at an industrial level and organisation of fake tickets, 70 per cent of tickets were fake tickets coming into the Stade de France.

“The massive presence of the fake tickets was the issue which meant there were delays, three times the match was delayed.”

Sports minister Oudea-Castera said: “The major point is to try to understand precisely what happened during this massive fraud.

“There are witnesses and the figures corroborate this – 30,000-40,000 people without tickets or with fake tickets and we saw some fake tickets.”

Hogan was also angered about Uefa’s initial remarks about Liverpool fans arriving late, describing that suggestion as "crazy".

“My colleagues across the club, our ownership and I, we all saw it with our own eyes. We were outside the ground, on the ground, in those crowds and from everything I saw, our fans arrived early and they were queuing as directed by authorities.”

Uefa has confirmed the review will be carried out by by Dr Tiago Brandao Rodrigues, a member of the Portuguese parliament and former member of the World Anti-Doping Agency Foundation Board.

It commissioned the report following calls from all parties and leading politicians for a thorough investigation.

A statement read: “The comprehensive review will examine decision-making, responsibility and behaviours of all entities involved in the final.

“Evidence will be gathered from all relevant parties and the findings of the independent report will be made public once completed and, upon receipt of the findings, Uefa will evaluate the next steps."

Real Madrid won the match 1-0 thanks to a Vinicius Jr goal that saw the champions of Spain win a record-extending 14th European Cup.

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