Real Madrid’s team bus was attacked at the premises of Liverpool’s home ground, Anfield Stadium according to a statement from Merseyside Police. The incident happened before the kick-off of the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie involving Madrid and the Premier League club.
Before the return leg which ended 0-0, fans of Liverpool stormed the street of Merseyside to welcome Real Madrid’s team bus and that of Liverpool. Reports say the fans lined up on both sides of the road to Anfield Stadium.
Afterward, some fans reportedly escaped police barricades and gained access to where Real Madrid‘s team bus was, and smashed the glasses on the bus.
Pictures of the incident showed that the glasses of the window to the seat of Real Madrid’s coach, Zinedine Zidane, were smashed. No injury was reported after the incident.
Meanwhile, Merseyside police confirmed that investigation to uncover those behind the incident has commenced. Reports say police officers stormed the premises of the stadium and supervise the cleaning of the pile of broken glass.
Even when workers at the stadium were cleaning up the pile of broken glass, reports say supporters of Liverpool were gathered outside the stadium. They were forced to leave the premises before the kick-off of the match.
Recall that since mid-March, football in England is being played behind closed doors due to the dreaded coronavirus pandemic.
In reaction to the incident that happened at Anfield Stadium on Wednesday, Merseyside Police Chief Superintendent Zoe Thornton said: “We can confirm an investigation is underway after the damage was caused to the Real Madrid team bus this evening, as it approached Anfield Stadium ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League match with Real Madrid.
“Despite the advice to avoid attending the ground, approximately 400 people attended Anfield Road and as coaches approached, several items were thrown at the Real Madrid team bus. We are aware of images that show the outer pane of the lead coach window being damaged, the glass did not break through and there are no reported injuries.
“A number of pyrotechnics were also lit in the area, which significantly reduced visibility and could have put other people in danger.
“As with all matches, we have worked very closely with both clubs to ensure the safety of the public and the teams themselves, and the disgraceful behavior of those involved this evening is extremely disappointing and unacceptable. Such incidents will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
“A dedicated investigation team will be reviewing CCTV footage from the area, along with our own body-worn camera footage, and working closely with the club to identify those responsible. I would also ask anyone who was in the area and captured mobile phone video footage of the incident to please get in touch.”
Liverpool who crashed out of the UEFA Champions League campaign after failing to defeat Real Madrid at Anfield Stadium also release a statement to condemn the incident.
A Liverpool spokesperson said: “We condemn unequivocally the actions that led to Real Madrid’s team bus being damaged during its arrival to Anfield this evening.
“It is totally unacceptable and shameful behavior of a few individuals. We sincerely apologize to our visitors for any distress caused.
“We will work together with Merseyside Police to establish the facts and identify those responsibly.”
📍 Anfield arrivals… #LIVRMA | #UCL pic.twitter.com/BGjntkgV0M
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 14, 2021
