Supporters massed in front of the gates, free riders in shambles and muscular interventions by the police… Relocated at short notice to Saint-Denis, the Champions League final Liverpool-Real Madrid (0-1) offered scenes of chaos on Saturday, suggesting dysfunctions in the organization of the event.
While the pre-match had been good-natured, the tension mounted as the match approached, initially scheduled for 9:00 p.m.: huge queues formed around the Stade de France, where the screening of supporters was done in dribs and drabs, to the point that UEFA postponed kick-off by 36 minutes, an unprecedented event in the recent history of the event.
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At least a thousand supporters were blocked, shouting "Open the gate" ("open the gate").
Then attempts at intrusion by people without a ticket undermined the system.
Tear gas was launched to prevent a few dozen individuals, some of whom did not wear the colors of either club, from climbing the barriers.
The queues only cleared up at halftime.
The police headquarters deplored in a press release that “many supporters without tickets for the match or holders of counterfeit tickets disrupted access to the Stade de France (…) Exerting strong pressure to enter the enclosure, these supporters delayed the access of spectators with tickets.
Taking advantage of this action, a certain number of people managed to cross the gates protecting the enclosure of the stadium.
