Liverpool fans charged by riot police in Paris after night of crowd problems
French riot police clashed with Liverpool fans after the Champions League final descended into chaos.
Shocking video shared on social media showed heavily armed officers clashing with fans watching the match in Paris.
French journalist Remy Buisine captured the moment a squad of officers charged into a bar with riot shields and truncheons, forcing fans back.
A reported 40,000 people have travelled to the French capital from Merseyside without a ticket and are watching the game in local bars.
It was heartbreak on the pitch for the reds, who were defeated 1-0 by Real Madrid after 90 minutes.
What should have been a dream night for fans was marred by crowd problems, both around the stadium and elsewhere.
Kick off had to be delayed after thousands of fans struggled to get inside the ground amid a breakdown or organisation at the Stade de France.
Videos posted on social media showed fans climbing over fences to get into the ground and pepper spray being used.
Once shocking video showed children caught up in the chaos and struggling with the effects of the noxious substance.
Play had to be delayed by more than half an hour but some fans still didn’t make it into the ground.
There were scuffles outside the ground, with one Liverpool fan saying groups of people from Paris who support neither team were agitating people trying to reach the match.
Nick Smith, 42, told PA: ‘I had a ticket, paid through the nose, especially at the minute when everyone’s struggling.
‘But complete lack of organisation means I’m at a pub and not where I should be.’
One said: ‘I’ve queued up for four hours, my wife and I have tickets. Appalling. I’m devastated, Liverpool fans should not get the blame for this.’
Another witness blamed the police for the clashes away from the ground.
They said: ‘The police came at the fans with batons and shields.
‘Officers had been standing by with water cannon and other crowd control devices all day, and their numbers increased as the day went on.
‘They seemed to be unhappy with the amount of drinking that went on, and so decided to move in. It seemed to be unprovoked.’
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