The UEFA Champions League final between winners Real Madrid and Liverpool FC started 36 minutes later than originally scheduled due to pandemonium outside Stade de France.
After first reporting a 15-minute delay due to fans arriving late, UEFA and the stadium then extended the wait 21 more minutes. As Camila Cabello performed the opening show, fans outside the venue were getting pepper sprayed by French police, including this child.
While the video does not show the child getting directly tear gassed, it’s evident that officers were spraying so much of it that the young fan got the worst end. Two officers go up to him and seemingly help him with another spray to offset the effects from the tear gas.
Other fans at the stadium gave their version of why the chaos ensued. UEFA blamed fans trying to enter the event with fake tickets or without a pass, but some ticketholders claim the lack of organization was the issue.
UEFA official statement
“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 official UEFA statement reads. “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 kickoff, the police dispersed them with tear gas and forced them away from the stadium.”
Liverpool released its own statement condemning Stade de France and police who targeted ticketholders. The club demanded a formal investigation be opened immediately.
“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,” the LFC statement reads. “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.”
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