<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">A reunion with Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday serves as a reminder to Liverpool fans of the failings that put their lives at risk at last year's final in Paris.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Madrid's 1-0 win at the Stade de France on May 28 was overshadowed by the scenes surrounding European football's showpiece event.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kick-off was delayed by 37 minutes as fans struggled to access the stadium after being funnelled into overcrowded bottlenecks on approach.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Police then fired tear gas towards thousands of supporters locked behind metal fences on the perimeter to the stadium.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An independent report, commissioned by UEFA and published last week, found European football's governing body bore "primary responsibility" for failures which "almost led to disaster".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were no fatalities in the French capital, but there was still a physical and mental price to pay for both the lack of organisation on the part of the authorities before the match and mudslinging towards supporters in the aftermath.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ted Morris, chair of the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association, described the scenes he witnessed as a "carnival of horror."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For many Liverpool fans the scenes brought back memories of a crush at Hillsborough Stadium in 1989 that resulted in the deaths of 97 supporters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some remain too scarred to return to watching matches live, even in the familiar surroundings of Anfield.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I think we're still all suffering from the aftereffects of the final," Joe Blott, chair of Liverpool supporters group Spirit of Shankly, told AFP.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Many people I know and other people are struggling to get to the game now as a consequence of the crowd management."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Mental health support -</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance has seen a spike in fans seeking mental health support since events at the Stade de France.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Liverpool have worked together with mental health charities and put funding in place to help those struggling with flashbacks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It's vitally important that supporters know there is help out there if they feel they need it," said Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Working together with a number of expert mental health organisations, and with the support of (Liverpool's director of public health) Matt Ashton's expertise, this resource is still available to all fans.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It not only signposts people where to go for support but also offers advice to those dealing with the ongoing effects of such a distressing event."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">UEFA initially tried to pin the blame for the delayed kick-off on Liverpool fans arriving late despite thousands having been held for hours outside the stadium.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">European football's governing body finally apologised last week, but wounds remain open among the Liverpool support.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Champions League anthem is expected to be disrupted before kick-off of Tuesday's last 16, first leg tie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It's good that the truth is out there," said Gareth Robertson, a 25-year-old student outside Anfield on Monday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"But they (UEFA) tried to get away with blaming Liverpool fans."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Local member of parliament and Liverpool fan Ian Byrne has called on UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin to resign.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Liverpool's form on the field has also suffered this season with the Champions League the Reds' last realistic chance of winning a trophy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And Byrne believes Anfield's famous atmosphere has been anaesthetised by the aftermath of Paris.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"So many people are still damaged by what they experienced," Byrne told AFP.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I feel people are at the game under anaesthetic. It feels like all the passion has been sucked out." AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>