PARIS (Reuters) – Ticket holders who were blocked from entering Paris’s Stade de France for last Saturday’s Champions League final by security personnel must be reimbursed “as fast as possible”, French President Emmanuel Macron told local media on Friday.
On Friday, UEFA issued an apology to the fans who were affected by the events surrounding the final between eventual champions Real Madrid and Liverpool after ticket fraud and crowd trouble marred the showpiece event in Paris.
The match was delayed by more than 30 minutes after officers forcefully held back people trying to enter the Stade de France while riot police had also sprayed tear gas on fans, including women and children.
“I have a thought for the families who have been pushed around, who have not been able to access the seats they had paid for. This is why I hope that we can compensate them as soon as possible,” Macron said in the interview.
“I have asked the government to clarify what happened, to determine the responsibilities and to explain them in detail to our compatriots, the British and the Spanish.”
Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan on Friday reiterated a call for an investigation into last weekend’s final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in Paris, which was marred by crowd trouble.
Real Madrid on Friday also demanded answers from organisers.
(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
