Champions League final delayed as Liverpool and Real Madrid made to wait

Saturday’s Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid was delayed due to crowd congestion outside the Stade de France.

An announcement of a 15-minute initial hold-up was made by UEFA around a quarter of an hour before the scheduled kick-off time of 21:00 CET.

European football’s governing body put the delay down to “security reasons”, amid reports of many Liverpool supporters still waiting to get into the stadium.

British broadcaster BT Sport said Liverpool fans had complained of heavy-handed policing outside, claiming tear gas had been used.

Both sides had already completed their warm-ups by that point and had made their way back to the dressing rooms. They returned to the pitch for a further warm-up shortly after 21:05 CET.

For security reasons, the UEFA Champions League final kick-off has been delayed by 15 minutes.

It will now start at 21:15 CET. #UCLfinal

— UEFA (@UEFA) May 28, 2022