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Nadal finished journey to chaotic Champions League final 'on foot' / Photo: © AFP
Nadal finished journey to chaotic Champions League final 'on foot'
Rafael Nadal said on Sunday he had to complete his journey to the Stade de France to watch Real Madrid's Champions League final against Liverpool "on foot".
The 21-time Grand Slam champion, currently playing at the French Open, travelled across Paris to see his beloved Madrid's 1-0 victory over Liverpool on Saturday.
The final was marred by scenes of chaos outside the stadium and the scheduled kick-off time of 9:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) was delayed by over half an hour, with Liverpool calling for an investigation into the treatment of their supporters.
Nadal was not seriously caught up in the trouble, but did have to abandon the car he was travelling in.
"I had difficulty getting to the stadium," he said after beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in five sets at Roland Garros.
"I had to get out of the car on the motorway and finish on foot. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it in time as the car that was taking me didn't arrive at the stadium car park until 10:15 pm.
"People from the organisation recognised me and helped me."
France's Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera expressed regret that "some supporters who had tickets were not able to access the match" and called a meeting Monday involving UEFA and the French police, who used tear gas on Liverpool fans stuck outside the stadium.
O. Larsen--BTZ
