The final, won 1-0 by Real Madrid, was marred by scenes of chaos around the Stade de France, blamed by UEFA and the French authorities on thousands of spectators with counterfeit tickets.

Kick-off was delayed by half an hour.

From Saturday evening, numerous testimonies from journalists or English supporters on the spot, accompanied by photos and videos, undermined this version, pointing the finger at a deficient organization and an overly aggressive attitude of the police.

"I'm not sure it's possible to put an event any worse, even trying. Absolutely messy and dangerous," former England international and now TV presenter Gary Lineker wrote on Twitter.

"Relieved to be out of there. Police checks just after very narrow passages and made even tighter by the presence of vans", had testified Simon Hughes of The Athletic.

Liverpool demand an investigation

The Liverpool club had immediately requested the opening of an investigation "to determine the causes of these unacceptable problems", supported by the British government on Sunday.

"The images and stories from Liverpool supporters and the media about their entrance to the Stade de France last night are deeply disturbing," said Secretary of State for Culture and Sport Nadine Dorries in a statement.

"I urge UEFA to launch a formal investigation to find out what went wrong and why, in cooperation with stadium staff, the French police, the French football federation, the police in Merseyside (the region of Liverpool) and Liverpool FC",

Liverpool supporters, unable to return in time to attend the European Cup final between Real Madrid and Liverpool, wait on May 28, 2022, forcing UEFA to postpone the kick-off. about thirty minutes Thomas COEX AFP

Liverpool police officers, present as observers during all the European trips, had indicated that the "vast majority" of the English supporters "behaved in an exemplary manner, arriving early at the turnstiles and queuing" as demand.

The anger had not subsided among the supporters who returned to Liverpool.

"The only aggressiveness we saw came from the French police, we almost had the impression that they had come to fight," testified a supporter interviewed by Sky Sports on his return.

He also described intrusion attempts, but also assaults and thefts, committed by young French people seeking to take advantage of the crowd in front of the stadium.

Fans without tickets try to climb the gates of the Stade de France in Saint-Denis to attend the European Cup final between Real Madrid and Liverpool, May 28, 2022 Maryam EL HAMOUCHI AFP

Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson didn't mince words either, on Twitter, saying she was "disgusted by the calamitous management and brutal treatment" inflicted on supporters.

"It's shameful to put the responsibility on the supporters," she added.

According to Liverpool defender Andy Robertson, "pretty much" all of the players' families have also been caught up in the confusion.

"Hillsborough Moment"

He said that one of his relatives was refused access to the stands on the pretext that his ticket was counterfeit.

"I assure you that was not the case," he said, explaining that he had obtained this ticket from the club.

The group of Liverpool supporters Spirit of Shankly for its part denounced on Twitter the scenes "totally disorderly and extremely dangerous".

The MP for West Liverpool, Ian Byrne, for his part confessed to having lived "one of the worst experiences of (his) life": "Horrible security and organization putting lives in danger", he listed.

It was "a real Hillsborough moment", even argued Andrew Whittle, a supporter interviewed by Sky News, in reference to the disaster which took place in the Sheffield stadium where a stampede during a FA Cup semi-final in 1999 killed 97 people.

For years, Yorkshire police and the UK government had blamed the disaster on Liverpool supporters, before an independent commission of inquiry, almost 20 years later, only admitted the methods and certain decisions of the police were the main factor behind the drama.

© 2022 AFP