Liverpool chief defends fans in Euro row

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has hit back at claims from European football's governing body Uefa that the club's fans are the worst-behaved in Europe.

Much of the criticism surrounds the conduct of Reds fans ahead of last month's Champions League final against AC Milan in Athens.

Fans without tickets or with fakes were able to gain access to the Olympic Stadium at the expense of genuine ticket-holders and Greek police had to use teargas in a bid to quell the chaos.

Hicks lays the blame for the problems at Uefa's door and has hit out at spokesman William Gaillard for his damning comments: "The guy from Uefa who said that doesn't know what he's talking about.

"Uefa did not handle this right at all. To give 17,000 tickets to the two teams, particularly knowing Liverpool are going to bring 40,000 fans, is insane. It's a classic case of a bureaucrat trying to take the pressure off himself.

"They didn't handle it right, they didn't have proper ticketing procedures and unfortunately there were counterfeit tickets. There were fans who paid their hard-earned money to get their tickets and they get to the stadium and are told there is no more room. Are they (the fans) mad? Sure they're mad."

After Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher signed new four-year contracts Hicks has hinted the Reds are about to enter the transfer market.

He added: "I would say to fans 'just be patient', because we're talking to Rafa often.

"Rick Parry is in charge of getting the contracts negotiated and I think the fans will like the outcome. Maybe we'll hear something in the next week."

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