Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has spoken out against the treatment of Liverpool fans at the Stade de France before, and after the Champions League final.
Courtois produced a man-of-the-match performance in Paris on Saturday night, as he repeatedly denied the Reds’ biggest chances, including two incredible saves to keep out Mo Salah.
It was an exemplary performance from the Belgian, spurred on by his perceived lack of respect from those in England, consigning Liverpool to defeat in their third Champions League final in five seasons.
But while he was cocksure in his post-match interview with BT Sport, Courtois showed commendable poise as he took to Twitter following shocking scenes around the stadium.
“I feel sorry for Liverpool fans and the way they were treated,” he wrote.
“I hope everyone got home safe!”
Thousands of Liverpool fans were corralled into tight spaces, with reports of crushes and confirmed cases of tear gas being deployed as UEFA and French police claimed it was due to ticketless fans attempting to gain entry.
After the game, supporters at the official fan zone on the Cours de Vincennes were also tear-gassed, while there were incidents of physical violence from riot police elsewhere in the city.
Fans were also targeted by local gangs with reports of valuables stolen and violent attacks, with many coming away from the experience with a bitter impression of Paris.
It is telling that the likes of Courtois and Andy Robertson have so swiftly addressed the situation, with the Liverpool left-back revealing how “pretty much all our families were affected.”
“My tickets were through the club and someone told one of my mates he had a fake ticket, which I assure you it wasn’t because it was obviously through me,” Robertson said.
“Then obviously the French police decided to throw tear gas on fans and families. It’s not been well organised.”
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