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Posted at 8:42 a.m., Sunday, June 3, 2007

Liverpool soccer fans condemned as worst in Europe

By Peter-Joseph Hegarty
Bloomberg News Service

Liverpool fans have been condemned as the worst in Europe in a report for European soccer's ruling body UEFA, the News of the World said.

It follows disorder at the Champions League final in Athens between Liverpool and A.C. Milan on May 23, which the Italian team won 2-1.

At the time, Reds supporters complained of chaotic organization and said they were tear-gassed by police after being prevented from entering the stadium with valid tickets. UEFA replied that some Liverpool supporters caused the trouble themselves by pushing their way in without tickets, and its report now reiterates that the English team's fans caused most of the trouble, according to the News of the World.

"We have an independent police report mentioning 25 incidents since 2003 caused by Liverpool fans away from home," the newspaper cited UEFA spokesman William Gaillard as saying. "That's the most of any team in Europe."

Liverpool will make a strong defense of its fans and say that it submitted its own report to UEFA expressing security concerns before the game, the newspaper said.

UEFA's report will go to U.K. Sports Minister Richard Caborn this week, the paper added.

A spokesman for Liverpool did not return a call from Bloomberg News seeking comment.