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Liverpool fan group call for an investigation into why Atletico clash went ahead

Liverpool fan group call for an investigation into why Atletico clash went ahead

Liverpool fan group Spirit of Shankly have demanded an investigation into why their Champions League last-16 second leg clash with Atletico Madrid went ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Jurgen Klopp's side hosted their Spanish rivals at Anfield on March 11 in front of 52,000 fans. There were 3,000 Atletico Madrid fans in attendance.

The match was the last major game played in England before lockdown restrictions were enacted and the league was temporarily suspended due to the scale of the coronavirus pandemic.

'It seems bizarre that our government allowed the game to go ahead, 3,000 fans to travel from a city that was on its way to lockdown if not under lockdown, 3,000 fans of a club who couldn't play a home game and yet here they were in Liverpool', they told the Evening Standard.

'Looking back at that time, without any shadow of doubt there was a huge spike within three or four weeks of the game taking place.

'We would expect some form of investigation, some form of enquiry to establish why the decision was taken, why the government did believe that stadiums could host games, and why despite them having the overall responsibility for the public health of the population, it didn't take a match with 54,000 plus people would gather seriously.'

Atletico travelled to Merseyside despite their weekend clash with Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga having already been postponed as the virus spread in Spain.

Two of the four last-16 ties contested in the Champions League that week were played behind closed doors in a bid to slow the outbreak.

SoS add that they 'raised issues with the club' nearly a week before the match took place.

'This isn't having a go at the 3,000 Madrid fans, they came across in good faith because they assumed that they were okay to come', continued chair Joe Blott.

'They mingled in the streets, went to the bars, the restaurants, they went to the club shop, were on the concourse at the ground, were body-searched by stewards.'

'It's a rounded picture we need to look at here because it's more than just the match itself, it's the presence of 3,000 people within the city.

Source: m.allfootballapp.com

Original Story on: GhanaSoccernet
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