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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Remy Greasley

Liverpool FC fan's wheelchair became stuck in gate during 'horrific' final

Two disabled brothers have described their "horrific" experience at the Champions League final.

Samad Majid, a Liverpool fan and wheelchair user, said the conditions he and his brother were met with on their arrival at the Stade de France for the UEFA Champions League final were "horrific" and that it was "possibly the worst stadium" he's ever been to.

Samad and his brother Sahad said accessibility issues contributed to the nightmare experienced by fans that day, which saw them teargassed, mugged by local youths and forced into dangerous crushes as they tried to reach the game. Samad spoke about how his wheelchair became stuck between the barriers, and how "people would actually have to climb over the wheelchair" to get through.

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Samad, from the Midlands, told the BBC, stewards were "just standing and watching" him rather than trying to help. He said: "It was horrific - that was possibly the worst stadium I've been to."

"I could see that my wheelchair wasn't going to get through. And lo and behold, my wheelchair got stuck, so the only thing I was thinking about in that moment is 'how do I get out of here'?

"Because I was blocking the gate to get to the other turnstiles, people would actually have to climb over the wheelchair - it could cause a situation that was obviously quite dangerous."

His brother Sahad told the BBC the way the match was policed "wasn't safe at all." He said: "We need a clear understanding of what's happened and why it's happened and what safeguards they are putting in place to make sure this doesn't happen in the future again."

UEFA were slammed after the Champions League final after they accussed Liverpool fans of possessing fake tickets and effectively blaming fans for the day's traumatising chaos. This was despite the fact fans were penned in by police and refused entry to the stadium, later being accused of possessing fake tickets and being teargassed needlessly.

On Monday UEFA released their independent report into the days events after it was leaked. They also issued an apology to Liverpool fans.

Police and stewards are seen outside the stadium as Liverpool fans queue outside the stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League final (Getty Images)

UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis said: "On behalf of UEFA, I would like to apologise most sincerely once again to all those who were affected by the events that unfolded on what should have been a celebration at the pinnacle of the club season.

"In particular, I would like to apologise to the supporters of Liverpool FC for the experiences many of them had when attending the game and for the messages released prior to and during the game which had the effect of unjustly blaming them for the situation leading to the delayed kick-off."

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