Uefa apologizes to Liverpool and Real Madrid fans after Champions League final fiasco Soccer

Liverpool fans were targeted by tough policing on Saturday night, locked out of turnstiles and some supporters – including children – were tear gassed by French police as they attempted to legally enter the Stade de France.

The game, which Real won 1-0, was postponed by 36 minutes due to the chaos.

Uefa announced on Tuesday that it had launched an independent review into the access issues. The European Football Association has now released another statement apologizing to the fans.

The statement read: “UEFA would like to sincerely apologize to all the spectators who should have been a celebration of European club football in the run-up to the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France on June 28th.

“No football fan should be put in this situation and it must not happen again.

“To this end, UEFA commissioned an independent review immediately after the events to identify deficiencies and responsibilities of all entities involved in the organization of the final and today published the mandate for that review.

“The independent review conducted by Dr. Tiago Brandao Rodrigues of Portugal aims to understand what happened leading up to the final and what lessons should be learned to ensure that the actions and events of that day are not repeated.’

French authorities and Uefa initially blamed the late arrival of Liverpool fans and fake tickets for the chaotic scenes outside the stadium.

A French government spokesman told the press this week that there had been “no drama” and “no injuries” at the venue, despite mountains of video evidence and testimonies to the contrary.

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MORE: French government claims ‘no drama, no injuries’ were inflicted on Liverpool fans at the Stade de France

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