Liverpool stars ‘upset and angry’ with UEFA decision ahead of Champions League final against Real Madrid - Reports
Liverpool players are reportedly upset with UEFA's decision to forbid their families from joining them on the pitch during celebrations if they win the UEFA Champions League final in Paris tonight.
The Reds are in action against Real Madrid at Saint-Denis, looking to avenge their 2018 defeat to the Spanish giants in Kyiv and lift their seventh title in the competition.
Should manager Jurgen Klopp's team prevail on the night, they will have to celebrate the occasion without their partners and children on the pitch, something that hasn't gone down well with the Reds players.
60,000 Liverpool supporters are expected in Paris today and only 20,000 fans have tickets to the game! #UCL🇫🇷 60,000 Liverpool supporters are expected in Paris today and only 20,000 fans have tickets to the game! #UCL
The bars have already been taken by storm in the capital. #UCLfinal
🗞 @RMCsport
According to Marca (via Daily Mirror), UEFA have cited 'security concerns' while explaining the decision as well as 'tensions' over the size of Liverpool's allocation to friends and families of players, which has been capped to accommodate more fans inside the stadium.
However, only 20,000 fans of each team will be allowed inside the Stade de France, which has a capacity of roughly 81,000, perplexing Klopp. Incensed, the Liverpool manager said:
"When you see the ticket prices and the amount of tickets you get ... is it right?" the German asked "Is it right we only get 20,000 (tickets), Real get 20,000 and there's 75,000 in? That makes 35,000. What?? Where are these tickets (going)?"
It's estimated that about 60,000 Liverpool fans have travelled to the French capital for the final, but not all of them will be watching the game from inside the stadium.
The 2022 Champions League final was originally set to take place in St. Petersburg, but UEFA later relocated the match to Paris following Russia's Ukraine invasion.
Liverpool and Real Madrid set for cracking final
In a rematch of the 2018 final, Liverpool and Real Madrid will lock horns once again in another Champions League showpiece clash. With the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup already in the bag, the Reds are looking to complete a 'treble' of cups for the first time since 2001.
All eyes on Paris.
It's the Champions League final. https://t.co/aQxPwGNSfb
Having lost the Kyiv game in painful fashion (with Mohamed Salah going off injured) against Los Blancos, Klopp's side are gunning for revenge here and enter the match in good shape. They're unbeaten in their last 18 games across competitions.
The Whites, meanwhile, have become the comeback kings of Europe this season, with remarkable turnarounds in all three knockout round of the competition. So their clash against the Reds promises to be an absolute cracker.