A window of the Real Madrid team bus has been smashed ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg with Liverpool.
The Spanish giants arrive on Merseyside with a 3-1 lead after the first leg in Madrid.
They received a hostile reception from a section of Liverpool fans who had gathered outside Anfield before tonight’s match.
According to reports, a bottle was thrown at the bus, resulting in a broken window, while stewards were filmed cleaning up glass outside the ground.
Liverpool have already released a statement condemning the behaviour of those responsible for the damage.
Getty
“We condemn unequivocally the actions that led to Real Madrid’s team bus being damaged during its arrival to Anfield this evening. It is totally unacceptable and shameful behaviour of a few individuals,” a Liverpool spokesman said, per The Athletic.
“We sincerely apologise to our visitors for any distress caused. We will work together with Merseyside Police to establish the facts and identify those responsible.”
It isn’t the first time Liverpool fans have targeted the opposition team bus ahead of a Champions League quarter-final at Anfield.
Man City’s vehicle was damaged by bottles and cans hurled at it on its approach to the famous ground ahead of the first leg of their last-eight clash in 2018.
It was damaged so badly that a replacement had to be sourced for their return journey after the game, because the original was deemed unusable.
Liverpool fans have a tradition of greeting the team coaches before big games, although public gatherings of more than six people are currently prohibited due to coronavirus.
getty images
Speaking after the incident involving the Man City bus, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp condemned the ‘idiots’ responsible.
He said: “It is so strange because you go with your own bus through the crowd and it feels fantastic, it is passion.
“Then you come into the stadium and the first thing I heard is they smashed the bus of Man City and it kills everything in that moment for us.
“You cannot be happy about that, you don’t feel ‘it’ any more.
“Because of a few idiots it will maybe never happen again. It changed everything.”
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