Liverpool fans are travelling home to Ireland and England today after seeing their dream of a sixth European crown dashed 2-1 by AC Milan in the Champions League final in Athens.

Their disappointment was accentuated by worrying scenes in which some fans were tear gassed and batoned by riot police outside the Olympic Stadium before the match.

Chaos ensued when fans were held back because of congestion going into the stadium.  Police then said the stadium was full and some supporters with legitimate match tickets were denied entry.

But supporters raced up staircases in a desperate attempt to gain entry.  Lines of officers held them back at the top, lashing out with batons.

Furious supporters then either drifted away disconsolately or, in some cases, managed to dodge through police barriers and funnel into the ground.

Two Liverpool fans from Norway said they paid €3,000 apiece for travel packages including a match ticket.

One said: "I've heard that fans without tickets managed to get past the authorities and that's why genuine supporters can't get in.  It's a real disgrace. They've done a lousy job."

Another said: "We've both been pepper sprayed and hit in the faces with clubs. We'll have to give up, we've tried everything."

Another Liverpool fan said his ticket was snatched from his hand as he went through the final cordon just outside the ground.

But Uefa's head of communications William Gaillard today blamed Liverpool fans for the trouble.

"It was a suitable venue. It is the stadium where the 2004 European Championships were held and where all the games of the (Greek) national team are held.

"Unfortunately in Britain it is the behaviour. Liverpool fans are responsible for the problems before, during and after the game.

"(They were) trying to go over the barriers to get into the stadium without tickets, which is not the behaviour we can condone. It is very easy to say 'this is not a football stadium'.

"Milan supporters didn't face the same problems because they didn't behave the same way."

Gaillard defended a system that did not include the use of turnstiles and also praised the work of Greek police in containing flashpoints to a minimum.

"In terms of fans pushing yesterday and attempting to get over the barriers, with turnstiles there could have been a tragedy.

"At one point the police were overwhelmed and it is much to their credit that there were no dangerous incidents."

Gaillard was sympathetic towards fans denied entry despite holding legitimate tickets.

"I am very sorry for what has happened to fans who had regulation tickets but at the same time there is a collective responsibility for behaviour. Some are obviously honest fans who got tickets and obeyed the rules but because of those who did not they found themselves in an uncomfortable position."

Police in Athens said there was no further trouble in Athens overnight.  However television footage suggested otherwise as rival fans were shown throwing missiles at each other after the game.

A police spokeswoman said: "There were no violent incidents. Everything went very well.  We were very pleased regarding the behaviour of the sports fans."

Some 230 people in possession of forged match tickets were arrested in the Greek capital yesterday but released this morning.