The Worst Fans In The World?
By Nu Mad
Updated Wednesday, 6th June 2007
UEFA president Michel Platini has defended Liverpool fans after his organisation's spokesman William Gaillard called them "the worst-behaved fans in the world".
Gaillard recounted stories from Athens (prior to the Champions League final with AC Milan) of Scouse fans robbing tickets off fellow
Liverpool supporters, and even pinching tickets from children!
But Gaillard has been called a "clown" by the Anfield club's co-owner Tom Hicks.
Gaillard: "We know what happened in Athens, and Liverpool fans were the cause of most of the trouble there.
"There have been 25 incidents involving Liverpool fans away from home since 2003 and these are in the report - most teams' supporters do not cause any trouble at all."
When asked if Liverpool fans were the worst-behaved in Europe, Platini replied, "No."
Platini declined to elaborate further.
Hicks had stepped into the row over the organisation of the Champions League final in Athens and the behaviour of Liverpool fans, some of whom stole tickets from fellow fans while others charged the gates to force their way into the ground in scenes of chaos that ended with Greek police using tear gas.
Gaillard had made his comments about Liverpool fans' behaviour in Europe in the wake of constant criticism about the organisation of the final between Liverpool and AC Milan.
Hicks: "The UEFA man is a clown. The guy from UEFA doesn't know what he's talking about.
"UEFA did not handle this right at all. To give 17,000 tickets to the two teams, particularly knowing Liverpool are going to bring 40,000 fans, is insane.
"It's a classic case of a bureaucrat trying to take the pressure off himself. They didn't handle it right, they didn't have proper ticketing procedures and unfortunately there were counterfeit tickets.
"There were fans who paid their hard-earned money to get their tickets and they get to the stadium and are told there is no more room. Are they (the fans) mad? Sure they're mad."
Phil Hammond (spokesman for the Hillsborough Support Group): "The faults at the Athens final were 10% the fault of Liverpool fans, 90% the fault of UEFA.
"UEFA should get their house in order, people are going to die at their football matches, I can say that as someone who has lost someone and someone who went through what happened in Athens.
"If something like that happens again, someone is going to die at one of their games. It will all be down to you.
"I agree with what Tom Hicks has said, the man is a clown to come out and say what he did. He is claiming Liverpool fans did this, that and the other, but not what UEFA did wrong.
"Nobody will now believe anything he says, they should get rid of him as a spokesman, he should go. He should have kept his mouth shut until they found out what really happened."
