Klopp’s Anfield army takes over crazy Kiev
Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher were seen laughing with fans. Also waiting for a flight was local boxing hero Stephen Smith with son Frankie
While Real remain favourites to land the trophy for a third successive year, bookies reported a wave of bets on Jurgen Klopp’s exciting team.
Many of the fans partying were decked out in Klopp masks.
But once in Kiev, supporters ran a gauntlet of pickpockets, marriage scammers and bogus police.
The first victim was stripped of his wallet in the airport – by uniform-clad thieves posing as policemen.
Two Liverpool fans were injured when fans were ambushed by hooligans in hoods and skull-emblazoned bandanas at a restaurant.
One man said:
“We were just having dinner and they stormed the place by throwing glasses and tables. It was terrifying.’’ Police made two arrests.
Kiev’s mayor, former world heavyweight boxing champ Vitali Klitschko, said the Liverpool fans were attacked like a “pack of dogs”.
And up to 1,000 supporters faced heartache after their flights to the match were cancelled.
Police had to stand guard at tour operator Worldchoice Sports’ HQ in Cheshire to prevent angry supporters – who shelled out up to £2,000 for their trips – storming the building.
The company cancelled three flights after finding it did not have sufficient landing slots at Kiev’s Boryspil Airport.
But 540 Liverpool fans managed to dodge the crisis. They forked out £411,000 on private jets to fly them in for the kick-off.