UEFA have offered an apology to Rangers fans following kiosk chaos within the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium during the Europa League final last night.
Thousands of supporters were left fuming after a number of refreshment kiosks were left closed despite the huge crowd inside the arena.
Around 20,000 Rangers fans were inside the stadium and were forced to drink water from toilet taps due to the facilities.
Temperatures were soaring above 30 degrees at the time of kick-off and Rangers were forced to contact UEFA regarding the situation.
Now Uefa have issued an apology, a spokesperson told the Herald and Times group: "Even though the quantity of food and beverages planned by concessionaires was much bigger than what is usually served during a domestic sold out match at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium, it still was not enough to meet the extraordinary demand of the day and UEFA wishes to sincerely apologise to fans for the inconvenience created."
The statement comes as Rangers vice-chairman John Bennett expressed his pride in the tens of thousands of supporters who followed their team to Seville and “wowed” the Spanish police and authorities.
Police confirmed on Thursday that no Rangers supporters were arrested in Seville after estimating that 100,000 were making their way to the Andalusian capital.
Six Germans were arrested ahead of Wednesday’s Europa League final, most of them for being allegedly part of a large gang of Eintracht Frankfurt fans who went looking for clashes with Rangers supporters.
Bennett told broadcast journalists: “Our fans have come here and they have wowed people. They have wowed people who have known the club, and wowed people who don’t know the club, perhaps more importantly.
“We have had feedback from the police, such good feedback from the police, the local authorities of this city and at La Cartuja, the stadium, and they have all said one thing, ‘wow’. Overwhelmed and overwhelmingly positive by our fans’ atmosphere, our fans’ behaviour and this is for the fans.
“Everybody naturally thinks this oven of heat combined with your drinking beer and whatever, which football fans throughout the world do of course, and of course people look and say, ‘is that a cocktail for something that might go wrong?’
“Boy oh boy. Our fans brought a cocktail of colour, of noise, of positivity.
“I just want to thank them. I respect them so much. They have carried this club over the last 10 years on their backs and their shoulders. I am so proud of them.”
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