Andy Robertson has criticised the handling of Saturday night's Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid by French authorities.
There were chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France as supporters queued to enter, and tear gas was used by police. Kick-off was delayed by 36 minutes.
"Pretty much all our families were affected, I think," Liverpool defender Robertson told reporters.
"Obviously, my tickets were through the club. Somehow, someone told one of my mates he had a fake ticket, which I assure you it wasn’t because it was obviously through me.
"Then obviously the French police decided to throw tear gas on fans and families. It’s not been well organised.
"You have to have some sympathy because this was thrown on Paris kind of the last minute with all that has gone on with Russia, and they had to change the venue.
"But as a UEFA competition it is the biggest game in world football and it should be organised a lot better. Delays like that shouldn't be happening. Definitely the force that was used tonight by certain authorities shouldn't be happening either."
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In a statement released during the game, Liverpool called for "a formal investigation into the causes of these unacceptable issues".
The big screen at the Stade de France blamed the delayed kick-off on "the late arrival of fans". Liverpool supporter group Spirit of Shankly challenged this account, and said in a statement released on Sunday that responsibility for the "failure rests with UEFA, the French authorities and police".
Liverpool supporters' group statement
"Once again Liverpool supporters, and we are hearing, Real Madrid supporters, have felt the disorganisation and shambolic mismanagement of a major final by UEFA," said the supporters' group.
"Their comments may have changed before the match, but what remained consistent was their narrative that fans were to blame.
"Fans were not late. Many began arriving more than two-and-a-half hours before the scheduled kick-off time. They had legitimate tickets but failed to gain entry. The Merseyside Police representative in Paris made it clear: “I can only describe it as the worst European match I’ve ever worked or experienced. I thought the behaviour of the fans at the turnstiles was exemplary in shocking circumstances. You were not late 100 per cent”.
"The failure rests with UEFA, the French authorities and police.
"The consequence of such incompetence was the not unusual heavy-handed response from the police and their indiscriminate use of tear gas and pepper spray.
Post-match last night was the scariest I’ve ever experienced. Organised gangs set about mugging departing fans. We ran a gauntlet of thuggery on our way to the Metro. Not a police officer in sight. Witnessed so many ambush attacks on unsuspecting attendees. Reprehensible @UEFA
— Jim Beglin (@jimbeglin) May 29, 2022
"The French authorities and police also failed to control gangs of local youths before and after the match. Innocent fans were left distraught after they were assaulted, bags pick pocketed and match tickets stolen.
"The safety and well-being of our fans is paramount and in the weeks leading up to the game, Spirit of Shankly worked closely with LFC, @FSE and @merpol to ensure all that could be done would be done to secure this.
"It was not. And that collective work was ignored by UEFA and the relevant French authorities.
"We will now work with those same organisations to gather evidence of all affected by the events in Paris. It is incumbent on @uefa, the French authorities and police to take responsibility. They need to send representatives to Liverpool to meet with LFC and SOS. Lessons need to be learned so that this never happens again."
CL final disgrace … Link: https://t.co/2Hie9stgzB pic.twitter.com/8gXXc2QYzO
— Spirit of Shankly (@spiritofshankly) May 29, 2022
See Also: Toni Kroos Walks Out On Post-Match Interview Over 'Bullshit' Questions
