Over 50 arrested as fans storm Wembley and clash with cops during Champions League final despite £5m ’ring of steel’

The prestigious European final was halted after seconds when pitch invaders stormed the pitch

More than 50 troublemakers have been arrested after fans stormed Wembley and clashed with cops during the Champions League final.

Shocking footage shows a large group of people jumping over fences and pushing through ticket stalls at the iconic London stadium before Real Madrid’s clash with Borussia Dortmund.

Cops were out in force at WembleyCredit: Story Picture Agency

Fans caused a mad rush as they pushed through the ticket stalls at the Club Wembley’s main entrance

A pitch invader is taken down with the help of Dortmund player Marcel SabitzerCredit: Reuters

The Spanish outfit won 2-0 and secured a 15th European Cup despite a strong performance from Dortmund at a cacophonous Wembley.

But the off-field chaos came despite a £5million ring of steel defence which was put in place to avoid a repeat of England’s Euro 2020 day of shame.

More than 2,000 police were out on duty to police the final but the force could still not contain the mayhem.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers had made 53 arrests at Wembley.

Five were aid to be for pitch invasion while the majority of others were attempts to breach security.

Cops said they were confident that the "overwhelming majority of attempts" to get into Wembley on Saturday night were "unsuccessful".

Just 30 seconds after the European showpiece kicked off, play was stopped due to three pitch invaders.

One of the people who ran onto the pitch stopped to take a selfie with Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. 

The trio of troublemakers evaded Wembley’s beefed up £5million security operation and made their way onto the pitch - each sporting the name ’Mellstroy’ on their T-shirts.

Two invaders were quickly removed by Wembley Stadium security staff, but then another person ran onto the field to the visible annoyance of some players. 

It took four security staff to apprehend the last invader, marking a shaky start to tonight’s huge match.

Mellstroy is a controversial Russian blogger, who social media reports suggest had offered £300,000 to anyone who stormed the pitch wearing his name.

The 25-year-old streamer, real name Andrey Burim, has been accused of going to extreme lengths to attract views.

A Wembley spokesperson revealed the three pitch invaders have all been arrested.

A statement said: "It is illegal to enter the field of play at Wembley Stadium, and we strongly condemn the actions of those who interrupted the UEFA Champions League Final shortly after kick-off.

"All of the individuals have now been arrested. We will support the relevant authorities to ensure appropriate action is taken."

Footage shows a group of hooded men attempting to rush the entrances of the stadium.

Some can be seen actually getting inside the Club Wembley entrance as they break past security. 

As well as this, the video outside the stadium shows what appears to be fans fighting on the ground. 

To combat this, police mounted on horses rush in as reinforcements with riot police also seen marching down the street.

BEEFED UP SECURITY

More than 2,500 security stewards were deployed, the most Wembley has ever seen.

The investment has been used to solidify the stadium’s security infrastructure, including increasing the strength of all Wembley’s doors with additional magnetic lock systems to ensure there is no repeat of people successfully ripping them off their hinges. 

Additional fences and gates have been delivered throughout Wembley’s parameters, while the area underneath the iconic Olympic steps has been significantly bolstered since the Euros final.

A significant part of the money has been spent on improving CCTV in and around Wembley, while a second security control room big enough to house around 18 officers has been opened with the specific remit of monitoring events outside the stadium’s perimeter, including tube stations and local pubs.

The FA has also invested in providing additional body cameras for event stewards.

The Metropolitan Police said: "We are confident that the overwhelming majority of attempts to unlawfully gain access to Wembley this evening were unsuccessful thanks to the efforts of officers, stewards and other stadium staff.

"Officers have made 53 arrests at Wembley - five for pitch invasion and the majority of others for attempts to breach security.

"There is a robust policing operation in place to support the Wembley security plan and officers have worked closely with stewards and stadium staff to maintain security throughout.

"Videos shared online showing groups running into entrances do not necessarily represent successful attempts to enter the stadium.

"There are typically multiple further levels of security beyond an initial entrance.

"Officers remain in the area outside the stadium and will deal decisively with any criminality."

Elizabeth Baker