Stade de France chaos 'very similar' to Hillsborough disaster, Liverpool fan tells LBC
30 May 2022, 16:07
A Liverpool supporter has outlined his ordeal at the Champions League final in Paris on Saturday, which he described as "probably the most uncomfortable experiences of my life".
Real Madrid's 1-0 victory was marred by chaos outside the Stade de France, with the game delayed by 30 minutes as fans struggled to get into the stadium.
Supporters were funnelled into several chokepoints, creating dangerous crushes, with French police deploying tear gas in a bid to control the crowd.
Speaking to Shelagh Fogarty one lifelong Liverpool supporter said the match was "completely overshadowed" by events outside the stadium.
He explained: "We got off the train near the ground two hours before kickoff.
"We made our way through the underpass that we were funnelled through, it was no more than 10-15 meters wide.
READ MORE: France blames Champions League final chaos on '40,000 fans with fake tickets'
"There was nowhere near enough room for us to move along. As we started moving along it got more and more crowded.
"When I was in that underpass I wasn't in control of my own movements and that's very similar to what people said about Hillsborough."
The fan added he was "just incredibly lucky" to make it into the game, with some supporters giving up and heading home.
French interior minister Gérald Darmanin blamed a "massive, industrial-scale and organised fraud" with fake tickets.
He claimed 30,000-40,000 Liverpool fans turned up without genuine tickets, overwhelming authorities.
However Liverpool supporters who were at the scene rejected this account, placing the blame on organisers.
Billy Hogan, Liverpool's chief executive, branded the treatment of fans "unacceptable" and urged UEFA to conduct a "transparent investigation".
READ MORE: 'Shameful to blame fans': Liverpool Mayor demands UEFA answers after Paris chaos
