Scheduled for 9 p.m., the kick-off of the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid was postponed to 9:15 p.m., then to 9:36 p.m. Fans tried to force the first filter installed near the Stade de France before the start of the match on Saturday in Saint-Denis, but access to the enclosure remained “waterproof“, learned AFP from the Paris police headquarters (PP).
⚽️ #UCLFinal ¡ÚLTIMA HORA!
‼️ Aficionados del @LFC están saltando las vallas y burlando al personal de seguridad en el acceso al Stade de France
via: @antonmeana pic.twitter.com/LNnq3nmXjz
— Carrusel Deportivo (@carrusel) May 28, 2022
The first cordon installed around the stadium was the subject of a “attempted penetration”, said the PP, as some Liverpool fans began to get impatient and annoyed with the organizers over the waiting time, franceinfo learned. Thousands of supporters were massed around the stadium about thirty minutes from kick-off, with no apparent crowd movement.
A total of 6,800 police, gendarmes and firefighters were mobilized to provide security for the Champions League final at the Stade de France. Authorities expected a surge of 30,000 to 40,000 Liverpool fans without a ticket to the final.
Still a lot of people at the entrance to the stadium when the kick-off should have taken place now. It is especially on the side of the Liverpool supporters on this block. #UCLfinal #LIVRMA pic.twitter.com/LolkTFi326
— Denis Menetrier (@DMenetrier) May 28, 2022
At 8 p.m., some 30,000 “Reds” supporters gathered in Liverpool’s “fan zone”, located in the Cours de Vincennes, in eastern Paris. At the “fan zone” of Saint-Denis, reserved for Madrid residents, 4,000 people were still present at the start of the evening.
These pre-match gatherings took place in a good-natured atmosphere, learned franceinfo. The police made about ten arrests for minor offenses such as street selling, the PP said in the afternoon.