Uefa launch investigation after Athens ticket fiasco

SOCCER/Uefa Champions League:Uefa yesterday launched an investigation into the ticket and security problems surrounding Wednesday's Champions League final but placed the bulk of the blame on Liverpool fans. The British embassy, however, demanded an explanation from the Greek authorities after Liverpool fans with valid tickets were prevented from entering the Olympic Stadium and were baton-charged by riot police.

William Gaillard, Uefa's director of communications, contrasted the behaviour of the English supporters unfavourably with those of Milan. "Unfortunately, in Britain it is the behaviour," he said. "Liverpool fans are responsible for the problem before, during and after the game. They were trying to go over the barriers to get into the stadium without tickets, which is not behaviour we can condone.

"Milan supporters didn't face the same problems because they didn't behave in the same way."

Gaillard praised the Greek police for containing a potential flashpoint and said there could have been a tragedy at the turnstiles. "At one point, police were overwhelmed and it is much to their credit that there were no dangerous incidents." He said he was sorry for those with genuine tickets who could not gain entry. "Some are obviously honest fans who got tickets and obeyed the rules but, because of those who did not, they found themselves in an uncomfortable position."

Gaillard added that about 800 Liverpool fans appeared to have acquired tickets in the Milan end that had originally come from the Italian club.

Richard Caborn, the British sports minister, said he would raise the issue with Michel Platini, the president of Uefa, at a meeting in Brussels in two weeks' time. He said: "I have a lot of sympathy with the Liverpool fans who paid their hard-earned money for genuine tickets but couldn't get into the ground. The reasons for this need an urgent explanation. We have already raised the matter with the Greek authorities through our embassy in Athens and government officials are talking with Uefa."

The trouble in Athens erupted about an hour before kick-off, when police stopped fans with tickets - which some had bought for more than £600 - from entering the ground. Officers said the ground was full to its 63,800 capacity after fans with forged tickets had gained entry. Fans who tried to find a way around the police cordons were then baton-charged by officers carrying riot shields, and tear gas was fired. About 200 fans were caught up in the disturbances.

One fan caught up in the trouble compared it to Hillsborough and Heysel: "Haven't they learned anything in all these years? This makes me want to weep." Kenny Roberts, 19, from Norris Green, Liverpool, who was unable to gain entrance with his ticket, said: "I've been gassed and hit on the back of the head by the police."

Police said yesterday that 230 fans, including 216 from Britain and nine from Italy, had been held at the stadium with forged tickets but had been released without charge. There had been reports that up to 5,000 forged tickets were in circulation. "We had an overcrowded Liverpool end when there probably was a few thousand people who should not have been there," Gaillard said.

Guardian Service