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Why was there a delay in the Liverpool vs Real Madrid Champions League final?

The Champions League final was pushed back more than 30 minutes due to crowd congestion outside of Paris' Stade de France, according to claims from UEFA, though people on the ground alleged poor organisation and misconduct from police.

Liverpool and Real Madrid went on to start the match on Saturday more than a half hour late as supporters still tried to enter the venue.

Unfortunate scenes in Paris followed what had been a joyous morning in the capital.

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Why was kick-off delayed?

Supporters had begun congregating outside the ground early on Saturday, but as the start approached there were significant delays in their entry.

With much of the crowd still outside as 8pm BST (3pm EST) loomed, the decision was made to wait 15 minutes in order to clear some of the bottlenecks outside and allow fans to take their seats.

UEFA then extended the delay to 30 minutes before opting to begin the game.

“We are hugely disappointed at the stadium entry issues and break down of the security perimeter that Liverpool fans faced this evening at the Stade de France," Liverpool indicated in a statement on Saturday.

“This is the greatest match in European football and supporters should not have to experience the scenes we have witnessed tonight.

“We have officially requested a formal investigation into the causes of these unacceptable issues.”

Joel Matip's brother blasts UEFA

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