The kick-off of the Champions League final in Paris has been delayed by around 30 minutes. The reason was apparently problems with the admission of the fans. Celebrities and fans later sharply criticized Uefa.
The kick-off of the Champions League final between Real Madrid and FC Liverpool on Saturday was significantly delayed due to massive problems with admission. The game at the Stade de France near Paris started at 9:36 p.m., 36 minutes later than planned. The kick-off had previously been delayed by the European Football Union Uefa by 15 minutes and then two more times. The organizers initially stated safety reasons on the scoreboard, after which it was said that it was due to the “delayed arrival of fans”.
This enraged numerous Liverpool supporters, who reported on social media that they had been waiting in front of the stadium for a long time. Pictures show sometimes chaotic scenes at the entrance and long queues around the arena. Police reportedly used tear gas on bystanders.
Critical von Gary Lineker
“I’m not sure it’s possible to organize an event worse, even if you try. Absolutely chaotic and dangerous,” tweeted English football legend Gary Lineker to Uefa. He described the reason for the delay as a late arrival of the fans as “bullshit”.
“The organization around and in the stadium is not only unworthy of a Champions League final,” said former professional footballer Marvin Matip, brother of Liverpool’s Joel Matip, on Sky. “Using tear gas in areas with children and bystander fans is dangerous to the public.”
Paris police tweeted in French, English and Spanish that fans should not try to force entry. The AP news agency reported that there had been a few incidents where fans apparently tried to gain entry without tickets.
Everything went smoothly for Real fans
Numerous Liverpool FC supporters were not in the stands when the kick-off was originally planned at 9:00 p.m., and there were still a few gaps after the kick-off for more than half an hour. The Real Madrid fan areas, on the other hand, were well filled early on.
The teams came out of the dressing room shortly after 9:00 p.m. and warmed up a second time. The opening ceremony started at 9:23 p.m., accompanied by a loud whistling concert from the supporters.
The article was updated several times during the evening.
