The wife of Liverpool star Thiago Alcantara has detailed the horrific scenes that preceded the Champions League final, revealing that 'bands of robbers' were left to roam free.
The clash between the Reds and Real Madrid was delayed by more than 35 minutes as fans struggled to enter the Stade de France. Some were tear-gassed by French police, with many criticising the response of the authorities.
The families of the players were also caught up in the terrifying scenes both before and after the final. Julia Vigas, Thiago's wife since 2015, was one of those who endured a frightening experience on what should have been a night of celebration.
Vigas has now given her own account of what took place in Paris, revealing that she had to escorted out of the stadium. She also called for an investigation to take place into what happened so that it never happens again.
"I don’t like to comment on these things but this time I need to express myself. Yesterday’s final was a total nightmare, and this is not about football, it goes far beyond the result," she wrote in a statement posted on her Instagram story.
"Due to a lack of organisation and security, there were so many scary moments. Constantly being threatened by bands of robbers, that were trying to assault us and slipped onto the stadium without a ticket.
"For that many supporters were left out of the game triggering avalanches of people. Tear gas was thrown by the police at families and supporters, and some of them also were beaten down. All of them innocent people.
"Because [of] all this trouble, we had to leave the stadium escorted for our own safety. Something has to be done, these kind of things cannot happen in any kind of event and we ask for responsibility. It could have been much worse."
Liverpool were left furious by what had taken place in the French capital. The Reds chief executive Billy Hogan has called for an independent investigation to take place as he slammed the "unacceptable" treatment of his team's fans.
"The stadium entry and the breakdown of security in the perimeter was absolutely unacceptable and frankly the treatment of our fans as well. We are asking for a full and transparent investigation; an independent investigation that can help to establish the facts," Hogan told Liverpool's club website.
"It’s absolutely imperative that we understand what happened last night and how we got into that situation where people’s safety was put at risk. It’s important we understand what happened last night but it’s also important we make sure that we take whatever the lessons are and ensure it never happens again.
"It's imperative that we hear from supporters; we want to make sure we hear what their experiences were, we want to ensure that we get the facts, we want to be able to provide those facts to the relevant authorities as it relates to the independent investigation."
