Football reporters give details of French police pepper spraying, mistreating UCL fans
The UCL final was delayed by 30 minutes after French police got into it with Liverpool fans outside the Stade de France in suburban Paris.
Fans showed up thinking they were going to watch a thrilling Champions League Final match between Liverpool and Real Madrid. Instead, thousands of fans, an overwhelming majority of whom were Liverpool supporters, were met with locked gates and aggression from the French police.
The Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid was marred by violence and chaos outside the Stade de France in suburban Paris after police were caught on video pepper straying English fans.
UEFA initially put out a statement that the match needed to be delayed due to late-arriving Liverpool fans. That quickly fell apart once images from outside Stade de France began to circulate on social media.
Liverpool fans pepper sprayed by French police outside Stade de France
Pepper spraying fans outside stadium in Paris pic.twitter.com/drgzEpR9gD
— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) May 28, 2022
The chaotic scenes outside the stadium were captured by a number of soccer writers who were already inside the venue for the match.
Just taking my seat back in the press box having witnessed hundreds of Liverpool fans being treated appallingly outside the Stade de France. Was caught in the pepper spray. Eyes and mouth still stinging.
— Jason Burt (@JBurtTelegraph) May 28, 2022
UEFA delayed the start of the contest after saying fans had arrived late to the game.
Let this be said now with absolutely clarity: there is no blame to be put on fans here, none whatsoever. French police have used pepper spray for no reason - and I know this because I’ve felt the effects with some colleagues. How these people are being treated is a disgrace
— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) May 28, 2022
But videos that emerged soon after puts the blame squarely on organizers and police outside the stadium.
Since other videos are getting deleted and they’re denying it’s the scousers behaving like they do, here’s another one.
— The Life Of Brian (@DaytrippingRed) May 28, 2022
Bellends. pic.twitter.com/MpstJ0cv8P
The police response came after some Liverpool fans, fearing they wouldn’t make it inside the stadium on time, decided to climb the gates to get inside. It’s not known how many of those who climbed the fences were ticketless.
Back in 1989, before a FA Cup semifinal match against Nottingham Forest, 96 Liverpool supporters were killed when security failed to properly control the crowd entering Hillsborough Stadium.
It’s nearly impossible to see the terrifying images outside of Stade de France, the utter ineptitude of UEFA and the security on the scene, and not think about the tragedy that Liverpool suffered over three decades ago.
Fans on Twitter react to UCL final delay. dark. Next