A Liverpool supporter union has called for an explanation into the decision to the allow their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid to go ahead.
The last-16 meeting between Jurgen Klopp’s side and the Spanish outfit on March 11 came amid growing infection rates caused by the coronavirus.
Over 3,000 Atleti fans travelled over for the game despite LaLiga matches being postponed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 the previous weekend.
UEFA allowed two of its last-16 matches in that round of the games to be played behind closed doors but the Anfield tie went ahead with a full stadium.
The government also saw no reason to stop away fans from attending in light of the Spanish capital being their country’s hardest-hit area by the pandemic..
An estimated 41 deaths from Covid-19 have now been traced back to the game, which Liverpool lost 4-2 on aggregate and 3-2 on the evening itself.
Two days after the match, the Premier League suspended its upcoming games after several players and coaches tested positive for Covid-19.
Spirit of Shankly chair Joe Blott has questioned why the decision was taken to allow the Atleti game to still be played in front of a capacity crowd.
“I think the first thing to say is that this isn’t some remarkable hindsight,” he told the Evening Standard.
“We raised issues with the club on the Friday before the Bournemouth game, which was the weekend before the Madrid match.
“We had a number of fans who contacted us and were worried about going to the game and [asked] would we contact the club to consider any refunds should they feel unable or unwilling to attend.
“The club responded and said they would look at that on a case by case basis, which is understandable.
“Later that day, they confirmed that the game would go ahead following the latest government guidance and so they were introducing hand-washing stations on the concourse and providing those protective measures.
“But it’s striking isn’t it that at the game itself they scrapped handshakes before the game, mascots weren’t allowed on the pitch, and there’s that famous video of Jurgen Klopp rightly refusing to shake hands with fans.
“And yet, there we were in our usual spec, doing our usual things, and getting involved in the game, which was a fantastic game.
“The second element of it was that, that same week, UEFA played a couple of games behind closed doors.
“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.”