Real Madrid defends fans after Champions League chaos in Paris

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Real Madrid on Friday demanded an explanation for the way fans were treated at the Champions League final last weekend and stressed that authorities must take responsibility for the ugly scenes in Paris which the club said were "far removed from the values" of the sport.

In a statement published "in defense of supporters," the Spanish club asked why the Stade de France was chosen as the venue for the final against Liverpool and asked, "who was responsible for leaving the fans helpless and defenseless."

Some Real Madrid fans have said they were victims of crime after the match on Saturday, with many reporting being assaulted and robbed outside the stadium.

Similarly, before the start of the final match, thousands of Liverpool fans with tickets had to wait for hours to enter the ground, with French police using tear gas and pepper spray on crowds.

"Fans were violently assaulted, harassed and robbed"

In the statement, Real Madrid said, “We understand that what should have been a great celebration of football for all the fans who attended the game turned into unfortunate events that have caused deep outrage around the world."   

"As has been clearly seen in the revealing images offered by the media, many of the fans were violently assaulted, harassed and robbed," the statement mentioned, adding that some fans "even had to spend the night in the hospital for injuries received."

Real Madrid considered that "Our followers and fans deserve a response and that the relevant responsibilities be taken so that situations like the ones experienced are eradicated forever from football and sport."

"Things could have been organized better"

On Wednesday, France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin rowed back a little on his defense of the handling of the final by police, following a wave of criticism and reports about President Emmanuel Macron being furious with him over the damage to France's image.

Darmanin said that "clearly things could have been organized better." However, his statements were not enough for Liverpool's CEO Billy Hogan.

"My response to the French minister’s comments again, as I said earlier in the week, is just one of disbelief frankly," Hogan told the Liverpool website on Thursday.

The Liverpool CEO expressed that "The pain, the grief, the harm, the hurt that they suffered on Saturday, and now to be told by a French minister that only Liverpool fans have been a problem, it’s just disgraceful."

UEFA, football's governing body in Europe, has commissioned an independent report into what happened at the game.