Liverpool’s Champions League final against Real Madrid was delayed amid chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France. France’s national stadium stepped in to host the showpiece after St Petersburg was stripped of the final in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This is the third time that the Stade de France has hosted the Champions League final. There were shambolic scenes outside the ground in the hours before the match and the stadium announcer confirmed at 8.46pm local time – 14 minutes before kick-off – that the fixture had been delayed.
UEFA at first announced it would start at 9.15pm local time. The announcer claimed it was due to 'the late arrival of fans at the stadium', despite pictures and video showing thousands of fans queued outside the ground hours before the game.
