Liverpool Fan Sprayed With Tear Gas By French Police While Attempting To Show Ticket For Champions League Final

Shocking footage from the Champions League final shows French riot police using tear gas on peaceful Liverpool fans ahead of the match in Paris.

A video circulating on social media shows a police officer spraying the substance at Liverpool supporters, who were attempting to show their tickets at the turnstiles at the Stade de France.

One fan, who was acting peacefully, was sprayed directly in the face as he went to scan his ticket.

This caused another fan nearby to have breathing difficulties, forcing him to collapse to the floor.

Kick-off for Saturday's match was delayed by more than half an hour as thousands of supporters struggled to access the stadium.

A message shown on the big screen inside the ground claimed that the delay was due to "the late arrival of fans".

However, a large number of Liverpool supporters were kept waiting outside the stadium for several hours before kick-off, with the turnstiles closed on more than one occasion.

Footage emerged of ticketless fans jumping the gates at the Stade de France in a desperate attempt to gain entry to the ground.

UEFA blamed the chaotic scenes on fans who had turned up for the match with "fake tickets".

"In the lead-up to the game, the turnstiles at the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets which did not work in the turnstiles," the statement read.

"This created a build-up of fans trying to get in. As a result, the kick off was delayed by 35 minutes to allow as many fans as possible with genuine tickets to gain access.

"As numbers outside the stadium continued to build up after kick off, the police dispersed them with tear gas and forced them away from the stadium."

However, multiple journalists who attended the match have pointed the blame squarely at UEFA and its lack of organisation.

"The narrative that UEFA are pushing about the late arrival of fans is misleading. Fans were here in plenty of time,” tweeted The Mail On Sunday's Oliver Holt.

"It is the organisation outside the stadium that's the problem. Reports of tear gas used outside now. A disgrace that fans - any fans - should be treated like this".

Merseyside-based Journalist Andy Kelly added: "There's been zero communication with fans btw. No announcement about why we're still here.

"Why we've been tear gassed or even that the kickoff has been delayed. As abject an event as I've ever attended."

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson also labelled the organisation of Saturday's final as "horrendous" and said one of his friends, who he had personally given a ticket, was told that it was a counterfeit by security at the stadium.

"One of my mates got told it was a fake which I assure you it wasn't. It was a shambles really," Robertson told BBC Sport.

"To be honest people were just making it up at times and panicking. Tear gas getting thrown at people was unacceptable.

"It was horrendous for our fans and all families that have been through it as well. It wasn't a nice experience, not a nice final to come to. The Champions League should be a celebration but it wasn't that.

"Obviously the final wasn't meant to be here and whether the preparations were not as good as maybe they should have been but I am sure in the coming days an inquest will go into that."

Liverpool have now called for an investigation into the ugly scenes that marred the final, which ended in a 1-0 win for Real Madrid.