Liverpool fans clashed with riot police tonight as crowd congestion prevented them from watching the the Champions League Final.

Fans heading for the Olympic Stadium in Athens two cordons at which their tickets were checked but a bottleneck at a police blockade developed just outside the ground.

Riot police closed in behind the bottleneck on the concourse to stop other fans joining it and there was a brief confrontation as some tried to push their way through.

Officers then moved two police buses together to prevent any more fans joining the crowd leaving an estimated 2,000 fans stuck outside with half an hour to go before kick off.

Disorder erupted as when some fans ran up staircases to try to get into the ground and were chased by riot police.

Fans started throwing missiles and riot police responded with tear gas.

There were further sporadic flare-ups with riot police, who used their sticks on the fans when they tried to break through.

One, who declined to give his name, said: “We’ve been penned in and tear gassed. There’s going to be trouble here. This has got Heysel and Hillsborough all over it.”

Another fan, Peter Evans, a BT worker, 37, from Dublin, said: “This is crazy I paid 2,000 euros to be here.”

As the scheduled kick-off time came and went, fans kept trying to find a way into the ground but the situation was not resolved.

About half-an-hour into the match, a few dozen remained outside the concourse area, still furious with the Greek police.

One of the riot police officers told fans: “It’s not our fault, we’ve been told the stadium is full.”

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Times Christmas appeal: Letter from the Editor
• Conferences — what a waste of money
• Schools supremo learns a painful lesson