Liverpool fans make the long trek back from Athens

Liverpool fans were making the trek back to England today after seeing their dream of a sixth European crown dashed 2-1 by AC Milan in the Champions League final in Athens.

Their disappointment was accentuated by worrying scenes in which fans were tear gassed and batoned by riot police outside the Olympic Stadium before the match.

The disorder broke out when fans were held back because of congestion ahead of them and they realised they were not going to be allowed to use their tickets to go into the final.

The police told them the stadium was full and it was not their fault they had to deny them entry.

Supporters raced up staircases to try to find another way into the ground and lines of officers held them back at the top, lashing out at them with their batons.

Furious supporters either drifted away disconsolately or in some cases managed to dodge through police buses set up as a barrier to funnel fans into the ground.

Two Liverpool fans from Norway said they had paid €3,000 apiece for travel packages including a match ticket.

Rune Loholt, 35, a construction worker from Trondheim, said: “I’ve heard that fans without tickets managed to get past the authorities and that’s why genuine supporters can’t get in.

“It’s a real disgrace. They’ve done a lousy job.”

Frode Forsdahl, 32, a student, from Trondheim, said: “We’ve both been pepper sprayed and hit in the faces with clubs. We’ll have to give up, we’ve tried everything.”

Another fan, who declined to give his name, said his ticket was snatched from his hand as he went through the final cordon just outside the ground.

“That means someone else got in on my ticket and I’ve been turfed out,” he said.

The trouble started after police told fans of all countries going through the penultimate checkpoint – a 30-yard gap between two police buses – to slow down or even stop moving.

Then riot police formed a line to stop other fans joining queues to move through the checkpoint.

Angry fans realised they would not get into the ground in time for the kick-off, or even at all, and police used tear gas to drive them back.

They also checked them at the top of the staircases.

One fan, who gave his name as Billy, said: “This is woeful. I was at Hillsborough. Haven’t they learned anything in all these years? This makes me want to weep.”

Kenny Roberts, 19, from Norris Green, Liverpool, was one of those who was unable to get in despite having a ticket.

He said: “I’ve been teargassed and hit on the back of the head by the police. I’ve paid good money for that ticket, I’m a season ticket holder, and this is just disgraceful. It’s terrible organisation.”

Another fan, who gave his name only as Steve, 21, from Liverpool, said: “They let people in with fake tickets while the genuine fans are out here.

“There are people who follow people down to Portsmouth, up to Newcastle, and all over Europe, they can’t get in.”

On the pitch, Liverpool were judged not good enough on the night by fans.

Glenn Henery, a 42-year-old bank manager from Motherwell, said: “I thought the tactics were wrong, playing Steve Gerrard up front with Dirk Kuyt, it didn’t work. It’s the first time he’s done that all season, and I don’t know why he’s done it in a final. We only had two or three shots on target, and that’s not good enough.”

William Byrne, 60, from Bray said: “We had our chances in the first half. Milan took their chances very well, and overall deserved to win.”

Meanwhile six Britons have been arrested in the city for various matters, including one for allegedly selling forged tickets to an Italian travel agent, while up to 120 were held at the stadium for presenting fake tickets. They were expected to be released after making a statement.

Police in Athens said today that there had been no trouble overnight – even though TV footage suggested otherwise as rival fans were shown throwing missiles at each other as tempers flared in Athens after the match.

A spokeswoman said: “There were no violent incidents. Everything went very well.

“We were very pleased regarding the behaviour of the sports fans.”

She said there had been 230 arrests yesterday after people were found in possession of forged tickets.

The arrests included 216 Britons. There were also nine Italians, two Serbians, one Bulgarian, one German and one Norwegian man arrested.

She said the public prosecutor had released all the 230 by this morning and there would be no further action.