'Ticket stealing' Liverpool fans branded worst in Europe by UEFA

European football's governing body, who commissioned undercover police agents to compile the report over the last four years, say there have been more incidents involving Reds supporters than anyone else.

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The report paints a damning picture of the Anfield club's fans' behaviour at last month's Champions League final in Athens.

UEFA insist those alleged incidents - with many supporters who held genuine tickets complaining of being denied entry into the stadium - were the latest in a long line of transgressions.

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said: "The incidents involving Liverpool fans have been well known to us before the trouble at the Champions League final which involved Liverpool fans last week.

"That was just the latest example. What other set of fans steal tickets from their fellow supporters or out of the hands of children?

"We know what happened in Athens, and Liverpool fans were the cause of most of the trouble there.

"There have been 25 incidents involving Liverpool fans away from home since 2003 and these are in the report - most teams' supporters do not cause any trouble at all."

Liverpool have sent their own report to UEFA complaining about lax security measures at the final. Many supporters with forged tickets or no tickets at all managed to gain access to the stadium.

Gaillard added: "You must ask yourself why at the same match, with the same conditions, there was no trouble with the Milan fans - only the Liverpool fans."

UEFA 'want to shove the blame somewhere else'

Liverpool fans, from the Lord Mayor of the city to the leader of the supporters' group, have attacked UEFA's declaration.

Liverpool's Lord Mayor Paul Clark hit back in the Liverpool Daily Post.

He said: "UEFA appear to be trying to avoid the blame for the disorganisation of the final.

Cllr Clark, who attended the Athens match, added: "To make matters worse, instead of looking at their own faults UEFA are blaming the people of Liverpool.

"Saying this is typical of Liverpool fans is unfair and reflects badly on the image of the city."

Les Lawson, spokesman for the official LFC supporters' club, said: "This is typical of UEFA. Rather than look at their own shortcomings, they want to shove the blame somewhere else.

"The fact they are not willing to stand up and take responsibility is worrying for fans, because that means they will never learn from their mistakes."

Council leader Warren Bradley said: "UEFA is dragging Liverpool's name through the mud to deflect attention from themselves. Big governing bodies like UEFA always look for scapegoats and never accept any blame.

"There should be a full and appropriate investigation. There is very little information about what actually went wrong.

"It was only a small minority who caused problems but the people at the top of UEFA think they have the divine right to criticise people."

Phil Hammond, of the Hillsborough Justice Support Group, added: "We condemn the behaviour of some fans, but it was not helped by the way the police acted, they made it worse. UEFA are not justified in making these comments."

A Liverpool FC spokesman said: "The shortcomings in the management of the situation in Athens was apparent to anyone who was there. These latest comments from UEFA should not deflect attention from the reality."

The club produced their own report ahead of the final, warning UEFA of potential problems caused by ticket allocation and what could happen with fans travelling without tickets.