Eduardo Camavinga described Real Madrid's Champions League final triumph as a "dream come true" as he reflected on a glorious first season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Camavinga came on as an 85th-minute substitute at the Stade de France as Madrid claimed their 14th European crown courtesy of Vinicius Junior's goal, meaning the French midfielder ends his first campaign in Spain with LaLiga and Champions League winner's medals.

Despite finding himself behind experienced midfield trio Casemiro, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos in the pecking order, Camavinga has made 44 appearances in all competitions since joining from Rennes last August.

The 19-year-old, who has been tipped as a future star for both Los Blancos and France, made a series of valuable contributions to Madrid's Champions League run from the bench, producing a particularly lively performance as Carlo Ancelotti's team recovered from a 5-3 aggregate deficit to eliminate Manchester City in the semi-finals earlier this month.

Speaking to Canal+ after Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0, Camavinga was delighted with the "dream" victory, saying experiencing such occasions was the reason he joined the Spanish giants.

"It's a crazy thing, it's a childhood dream come true. Touching the cup, experiencing matches like that, it's crazy... That's why I came here," he said.

"From the moment we come here, we know that we are in the best club in the world, we only play big matches. I am very happy to have played in the final and to have won it."

Camavinga has some way to go to match the honours of some of his Madrid team-mates, with Karim Benzema, Dani Carvajal and Modric all winning their fifth European titles in Paris. No one has won more.

Touching on the illustrious careers of his colleagues, Camavinga laughed: "Some have five Champions Leagues here, but I already have one, I still have four left [to win]. We're going to enjoy it. Next year, we'll see."

With his late introduction, Camavinga, aged 19 years and 199 days old, became the youngest player to appear in a Champions League final since Kingsley Coman for Juventus against Barcelona in 2015 (18 years, 358 days).

Coman is also the only Frenchman to have played in a European Cup/Champions League final at a younger age than Camavinga.

And the midfielder believes he has improved as a player after making 16 starts in his first season with the club, though he insists his playing time is of secondary importance compared to the team's performances.

"It's been an incredible season, an extraordinary accomplishment, very positive," he said in comments reported by Marca.

"I've learned a lot in this first year from the players here, from my coaches too, so I think I'm a better player than I was a year ago.

"The first thing to remember is this victory, the work of the team and [only] after that, whether I've played more or less is important."

Liverpool supporters' group Spirit of Shankly has slammed organisers for the chaos that engulfed the Champions League final in Paris.

The start of the match, in which Real Madrid went on to win 1-0, was twice delayed as Liverpool fans struggled to enter the Stade de France, with UEFA blaming congestion outside the stadium on supporters attempting to use fake tickets.

France's interior minister Gerald Darmanin also accused "thousands of British 'supporters', without tickets or with counterfeit tickets" for causing the disruption by attempting to force their way into the stadium.

But British broadcaster BT Sport reported that fans had been tear-gassed outside the stadium, while Merseyside Police have since claimed the "vast majority" of Liverpool supporters behaved in an "exemplary manner".

The force has also pledged to support Liverpool's request for a formal investigation into the "unacceptable issues" which fans faced prior to the match.

Members of the media at the Stade de France reported that Liverpool fans were funnelled through a small gap between police vans under a flyover en route to the stadium, while videos shared on social media show police using pepper spray on some supporters who merely appeared to be attempting to scan their tickets.

Spirit of Shankly on Sunday hit out at organisers' "shambolic mismanagement" of the final, refuting UEFA's initial suggestions that late-arriving fans had contributed to the disturbing scenes.

In a statement on their website, the group also accused organisers of "incompetence" and backed up claims of "indiscriminate use of tear gas and pepper spray" by the French police.

"Once again Liverpool supporters, and we are hearing, Real Madrid supporters, have felt the disorganisation and shambolic mismanagement of a major final by UEFA," the statement began.

"Their comments may have changed before the match, but what remained consistent was their narrative that fans were to blame.

"Fans were not late. Many began arriving more than two-and-a-half hours before the scheduled kick-off time. They had legitimate tickets but failed to gain entry. 

"The failure rests with UEFA, the French authorities and police.

"The consequence of such incompetence was the not-unusual heavy-handed response from the police and their indiscriminate use of tear gas and pepper spray."

The statement also claims that fans were subsequently left vulnerable after the match had finished.

"The French authorities and police also failed to control gangs of local youths before and after the match. Innocent fans were left distraught after they were assaulted, bags pick pocketed and match tickets stolen," the statement continued.

"The safety and well-being of our fans is paramount and in the weeks leading up to the game, Spirit of Shankly worked closely with Liverpool FC, Football Supporters Europe, and Merseyside Police to ensure all that could be done would be done to secure this. It was not. And that collective work was ignored by UEFA and the relevant French authorities.

"We will now work with those same organisations to gather evidence of all affected by the events in Paris. It is incumbent on UEFA, the French authorities and police to take responsibility.

"They need to send representatives to Liverpool to meet with LFC and Spirit of Shankly. Lessons need to be learned so that this never happens again."

Gianluigi Donnarumma hailed the "perfect year" after Paris Saint-Germain and Milan won their respective leagues, but the goalkeeper has no regrets after leaving the Rossoneri.

Donnarumma was met with widespread condemnation by the Milan supporters after not renewing his contract, before opting to join PSG on a free transfer ahead of the 2021-22 season following his successful Euro 2020 campaign with Italy.

The 23-year-old kept five clean sheets in his 17 Ligue 1 appearances as he shared the goalkeeper duties with Keylor Navas, with PSG securing a record-equalling 10th Ligue 1 title.

Milan, meanwhile, edged out Inter to secure their first Serie A crown in 11 years, much to the delight of Donnarumma.

"After winning the title, the perfect year was the Scudetto of Milan and I congratulate them, they did an incredible job and I'm proud of them," said Donnarumma in a news conference on Sunday.

"I have no regret, I'm happy with what Milan have done and I wrote to all my team-mates to congratulate them."

Donnarumma was also praised the performance of fellow goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was on top form to help Real Madrid to a 1-0 Champions League final victory over Liverpool on Saturday.

Courtois pulled off nine stops in the final, the most on record since Opta began recording data in 2003-04, as Madrid secured a 14th European Cup, more than double any other side.

"I saw the match and he played an incredible match, he kept Real Madrid standing until the end," Donnarumma said of Courtois.

"It made me feel a bit like we could have been there, but unfortunately football is like that. They won and I congratulate Courtois, he made great interventions."

Donnarumma's focus now turns to the 'Finalissima' between Italy and Argentina at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, in a meeting between the European Championship and Copa America winners.

Italy defeated England on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley before missing out on World Cup qualification for Qatar after play-off defeat to North Macedonia.

"We must not forget what we did at the European Championship, this is a fantastic group and they gave us an incredible result," Donnarumma added.

"The disappointment of not qualifying for the World Cup is still fresh, we are still disappointed. It hurts, some guys will no longer be with us but we young people must bring Italy back to where it deserves."

Roberto Mancini will have Giorgio Chiellini to call upon for one final game before his international retirement, and Donnarumma says Italy will miss the experienced centre-back.

"We will miss everything about Giorgio, both on and off the pitch he was a point of reference for Italian and world football, especially for us young people," he continued. 

"He gave us great help, now we want to give him great joy. He will be missed on the pitch, he is truly fantastic and will always give you a hand, even just with a simple word."

Karim Benzema would have loved to play alongside Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid, but insists the forwards' decision to stay at Paris Saint-Germain will not affect their friendship.

Mbappe was widely expected to move to the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of his contract in Paris, but he conducted a late U-turn last week and chose to sign a new three-year contract with the Ligue 1 champions.

But Madrid showed they have the firepower to cope without the 2018 World Cup winner as they beat Liverpool 1-0 in Saturday's Champions League final, with Vinicius Junior scoring the only goal of the game.

Benzema played a key role during Madrid's 14th European triumph, scoring 15 Champions League goals this season to fall just two strikes short of Cristiano Ronaldo's single-season record (17 for Madrid in 2013-14).

The striker, who has been tipped to win the Ballon d'Or later this year, also became just the second French player to win a European Cup/Champions League final as captain after Didier Deschamps with Marseille in 1993.

Mbappe, meanwhile, scored 39 goals and added 21 assists in all competitions in a fine individual campaign.

Although Benzema admits he would have been delighted to see Mbappe join Los Blancos, he respects the 23-year-old's decision and is looking forward to teaming up with him for France's upcoming Nations League fixtures.

"I would have liked him to be able to realise his dream of playing at Real Madrid, together," Benzema told Telefoot.

"He chose PSG, you have to respect [his decision]. He is young, he has a lot of responsibilities on him.

"It's his choice, he's a PSG player, so we will enjoy playing together in the [national] selection. 

"Everyone makes their choices. "I'm not disappointed, I'm happy and I hope he does good things. We're good friends, it won't affect our relationship."

France will play four Nations League fixtures next month, including a double-header against Croatia, who they beat in the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow.

Merseyside Police say the "vast majority" of Liverpool fans behaved in an "exemplary manner" in Paris and the force will fully support an investigation into chaos ahead of the Champions League final.

The kick-off for the showpiece at the Stade de France on Saturday was delayed by over half an hour due to concerning scenes outside the ground.

UEFA put the delay down to turnstiles being blocked at the Liverpool end of the stadium by thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets, while a message on the big screen inside the stadium stated that the game was unable to start on time due to "the late arrival of fans".

Police used tear gas to try and disperse the crowds outside the stadium before a final that ended in a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid courtesy of Vinicius Junior's second-half goal.

Liverpool officially requested a formal investigation into the causes of the "unacceptable issues".

Governing body UEFA vowed to review these matters urgently, together with the French authorities and the French Football Federation.

Merseyside Police on Sunday released a statement passing on the observations from their officers who were in attendance in Paris.

Assistant chief constable Chris Green said: "We are aware of a number of reports relating to incidents both before and after last night's Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris.

"We are also aware that Liverpool FC have requested a formal investigation from UEFA and we will be linking in with the club, UEFA and the UK Football Policing Unit to pass on the observations of our officers who attended the game and took part in the pre-match meetings with the relevant authorities.

"As with all European matches officers from Merseyside were deployed in France to work in an observatory and advisory capacity with local officers, and they reported that the vast majority of fans behaved in an exemplary manner, arriving at turnstiles early and queueing as directed and their observations will be passed on to the relevant authorities as part of the debrief for the game.

"Many thousands of fans have travelled throughout the season to matches across Europe and we have worked closely with our supporter groups, the club and European hosts to ensure the matches passed without incident and fans were kept safe.

"Our officers returning today will conduct a formal debrief to ensure that we can fully support any subsequent investigation following last night's game.

"We know that people would have witnessed a lot of distressing scenes last night and we wish everyone returning home from Paris a safe journey."

Thierry Henry declared the race for the Ballon d'Or over after Karim Benzema lifted the Champions League with Real Madrid on Saturday.

Benzema became just the second French captain to lift the trophy, after Didier Deschamps with Marseille in 1993, following a 1-0 win over Liverpool at the Stade de France.

Carlo Ancelotti's side were largely indebted to the heroics of Thibaut Courtois after the goalkeeper produced nine saves – a Champions League final record since Opta began recording data in 2003-04.

Vinicius Junior may have scored the winner in Paris but a 14th European Cup for Madrid, which is double the tally of second-best Milan (seven), came down to Benzema's efforts throughout the knockout stages.

The 34-year-old netted a hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain, four goals across two legs with Chelsea and three in the tie with Manchester City, including an extra-time penalty to win the semi-final.

Benzema has been involved in 59 goals this season (45 goals, 15 assists) in all competitions, with only France team-mate Kylian Mbappe (60) bettering that total across Europe's top five leagues.

And Arsenal great Henry believes Benzema ended the debate for who should win the Ballon d'Or this year with his success in Paris.

"I just wanted to say something for France Football or whoever is voting. Close the votes, Benzema won it. Bye," Henry said to CBS Sports after the final.

France coach Didier Deschamps will hope Benzema can lead Les Bleus to more World Cup glory in November, and he echoed Henry's sentiments by suggesting the Madrid talisman should win the award.

"The answer is simple: yes. This new title and the sporting season achieved with his team, and what he was able to do, he was so decisive," Deschamps told Telefoot.

"Obviously, he was already one of the favourites and he deserves this reward."

The Ballon d'Or has been won by Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi in 13 of the past 14 seasons, barring when Benzema's team-mate Luka Modric was named the winner in 2018.

While Benzema may believe his achievements on a personal and team level are enough to stave off Liverpool's Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, the Madrid forward insisted he will be satisfied either way.

"Obviously, I finished my season, now I will join up with the national team," Benzema told Canal Plus.

"I think at club level I can't do better. We'll see what happens but in any case I'm proud of what I've achieved."

Pele has congratulated fellow Brazilians Vinicius Junior and Marcelo for their contributions to Real Madrid's triumphant Champions League campaign, which he hailed as a "beautiful adventure". 

Vinicius converted Federico Valverde's cross in the 59th minute to fire Madrid to a 1-0 final win over Liverpool at the Stade de France, as Los Blancos were crowned European champions for a 14th time - seven more occasions than any other team.

With his decisive strike, Vinicius became the first Brazilian player to score the winning goal in a Champions League final since Juliano Belletti did so for Barcelona against Arsenal in 2006, also in Paris.

The winger's sixth goal in the Champions League this season, combined with his previous four assists, made him the first South American aged 21 or younger to record 10 goal contributions in a single edition of the competition since Lionel Messi's 14 in 2008-09 (nine goals, five assists).

Meanwhile, Marcelo lifted the trophy as club captain before announcing his departure from Madrid, having made more appearances for Los Blancos than any other non-Spanish player during his 15-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Writing on Instagram after the final, Brazil great Pele hailed his compatriots for their roles in Madrid's success, also praising man-of-the-match Thibaut Courtois and Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is the first coach to win the Champions League/European Cup four times.

"That's why football is the most beautiful sport in the world. I got to see a dear friend, Vinicius, who overcame so many challenges to decide an epic game," Pele wrote.

"I'm delighted to see Marcelo be the first Brazilian to lift a Champions League trophy as captain. 

"I witnessed an impeccable goalkeeper, Courtois, make inexplicable saves, and a strategist coach, Ancelotti, who knew how to interpret the moment and use the best characteristics of his team. 

"Congratulations Real Madrid. What a beautiful adventure!"

Thibaut Courtois believes he has little chance of winning the Ballon d'Or despite his incredible Champions League final performance for Real Madrid, noting the presence of team-mate Karim Benzema makes such an honour even more unlikely.

Courtois was in imperious form as Madrid claimed their 14th European Cup/Champions League triumph in Paris, making nine saves as Carlo Ancelotti's team beat Liverpool 1-0.

Liverpool managed 24 shots throughout the contest, the most a team has recorded without scoring in a Champions League final since Opta records began (in 2003-04).

Courtois' tally of saves, meanwhile, is the highest on record in a single Champions League final, with his 59 across Madrid's dramatic European campaign also a single-season record (both since 2003-04).

However, after being named man-of-the-match, Courtois cast doubt on his chances of winning the biggest individual prize in world football.

The 30-year-old said goalkeepers have little chance of being named the best player in the world, particularly given the form of Benzema, who scored 44 goals and added 15 assists in all competitions as Madrid were crowned champions of both Spain and Europe.

"It is impossible for a goalkeeper to win it, even more so if he plays in a team with Benzema," he told reporters, as quoted by Tuttomercato.

"I can go far, but it is difficult to win this trophy. 

"For me, what matters is the fact that when I returned to the locker room, all my team-mates were screaming my name. This is worth more than personal recognition."

Lev Yashin is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or, doing so in 1963, while Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer came third in 2014.

Courtois also topped the Champions League charts for save percentage (80.6, minimum five saves), and goals prevented according to expected goals on target data (4.7) this season, before capping his fine season in perfect fashion in Paris.

While Courtois was keen to emphasise the collective nature of Madrid's success, he believed his saves from Mane in the first half and Salah after the break were crucial.

"It is incredible for me to win the Champions League final like this. For me, it was not important to be a protagonist, it was important to win," he added

"I was ready, I made an important save at 0-0 and one at 1-0. The one on Salah with my hand was beautiful, but also the one with my foot.

"I'm here to help my teammates, to keep the clean sheet and win. I'm happy to have been MVP in the final."

Meanwhile, Courtois also wished Liverpool supporters well after kick-off was twice delayed amid reports of heavy-handed policing in Paris.

Writing on Twitter on Sunday, the former Chelsea man said: "I feel sorry for Liverpool fans and the way they were treated. I hope everyone got home safe!"

Andrew Robertson says the organisation of the Champions League final was a "shambles" after there were chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France on Saturday.

The kick-off for the showdown in Paris was delayed by over half an hour, with UEFA putting the delay down to turnstiles being blocked at the Liverpool end of the stadium by thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets.

A message on the big screen inside the ground had claimed the game was unable to start on time due to "the late arrival of fans".

Police used tear gas to try and disperse the crowds outside the stadium before a final that ended in a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid courtesy of Vinicius Junior's second-half goal.

Liverpool defender Robertson says the scenes prior to kick-off were not acceptable.

He told BBC Sport: "One of my mates got told it was a fake which I assure you it wasn't. It was a shambles really."

UEFA vowed to further review the matters with French police and authorities and the French Football Federation.

Robertson added: "To be honest people were just making it up at times and panicking. Tear gas getting thrown at people was unacceptable.

"It was horrendous for our fans and all families that have been through it as well. It wasn't a nice experience, not a nice final to come to. The Champions League should be a celebration but it wasn't that.

"Obviously the final wasn't meant to be here and whether the preparations were not as good as maybe they should have been but I am sure in the coming days an inquest will go into that."

Veteran Brazilian full-back Marcelo has confirmed he is leaving Real Madrid following their Champions League final triumph.

The 34-year-old left-back has been with Los Blancos since 2007, making almost 550 appearances for the Spanish powerhouse, trailing only Karim Benzema as the highest-ranking foreigner.

Marcelo, who was an unused substitute in Saturday's 1-0 win over Liverpool, confirmed after the game that he would leave the club this off-season with his contract expiring at the end of June.

"It was my last game with Real Madrid," Marcelo said.

Marcelo will exit the club with 25 titles as a Madridista, which is more than any other player in club history.

It had been speculated that the Brazilian may accept a pay cut to remain with Madrid next season.

Marcelo, who joined Madrid from Fluminense, made 18 appearances in all competitions this campaign.

Vinicius Junior hopes he has won the first of many Champions League titles after helping Real Madrid become European champions for a 14th time, defeating Liverpool 1-0.

Vinicius was the sole goalscorer in Saturday's final in Paris, left with a simple tap-in after Luka Modric's pass cut Liverpool open and released Federico Valverde to drill in a cross in the 59th minute.

Another victory clinched a double for Madrid after they claimed the LaLiga title with four games to spare in April.

This was special for Vinicius, though, as his breakthrough Champions League triumph, and he was struggling to come to terms with his achievement as he spoke to Movistar afterwards.

"Inexplicable. I have no idea what I have done today," he said. "Now to celebrate and have a lot of fun. We have enjoyed what we have done, getting here and winning... there is nothing better than winning with this shirt.

"It was a dream for me. To have scored in the final is the best thing a player can have. It's the first. I want to keep winning and keep making history here for a long time."

While Vinicius was new to this stage, 36-year-old Modric was not.

Much like in the 2018 final against Liverpool in Kyiv, Modric was at decisive best as the match progressed, riding out the initial waves of Reds energy to ultimately nullify their pressing.

A pivotal figure in the club's run in the knockout stages to make the Champions League final, and with a contract extension on the horizon, Modric also intends to stick around and keep winning.

"We're still letting what we've done sink in," he told Movistar. "This club is without doubt the greatest in the history of football. We always say that, and we have to repeat it – there’s nothing like Real Madrid.

"Character, never giving up, believing right to the end. We did that today. Five Champions Leagues were impossible to imagine. But now I have five, and hopefully there'll be more."

Jurgen Klopp congratulated Real Madrid on their Champions League final win but highlighted the number of statistics in Liverpool's favour as they came up just short in Paris.

Indeed, Klopp claimed a historic performance from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could only be possible if "something is going wrong" for victors Madrid.

Courtois made nine saves against Liverpool to preserve a clean sheet, capping one of the great individual Champions League campaigns.

He finished top of the competition's charts for saves (59), save percentage (80.6, minimum five saves) and goals prevented according to expected goals on target data (4.7).

Courtois capped his terrific European run in style at the Stade de France, as his save tallies for both the final and the campaign as a whole were highs for any single Champions League season since Opta records began in 2003-04.

His heroics also contributed to Liverpool setting a new record for the most shots attempted in a final without scoring (24).

Despite this profligacy, with Vinicius Junior putting away one of just four Madrid attempts in a 1-0 success, Klopp put forward Liverpool's case for winning the match and pinpointed Courtois' display as a concern for their opponents.

"After the game, when I saw the stats, it was 50-50 possession," he told a news conference. "We had a lot more shots, a lot more shots on target, but the most decisive stat is absolutely on Madrid's side.

"Just to make sure that nobody thinks I wouldn't congratulate Real Madrid, I do that now, but I [also] congratulated everybody present and involved outside personally.

"They scored a goal, we didn't – that's the easiest explanation in the world of football, and it's hard, harsh to get anyway, [but we] respect that of course.

"When the goalkeeper is man of the match then something is going wrong for the other team, so we had, I think, three really big chances where Courtois made incredible saves. I would have loved to have had a few more of this calibre."

This was Liverpool's 63rd game of a long season, in which they played three finals and took the Premier League title race to the wire, and Klopp acknowledged fatigue could have been a factor while still believing the Reds did enough to go home with the trophy.

"Let me say, [the number of matches] doesn't help, but I don't think it was the reason," he added.

"We all know, the chances we had, when the player shoots a ball, the ball going in or is on the foot actually only an inch, that's all. Nothing to do with being at the peak of your physical things or not.

"We had these situations, the chance in the one-on-one situation from close range from Mo [Salah]; we know how often Mo scored in these situations. It was just an outstanding save from Courtois, we have to respect that as well.

"I think Madrid had one shot on target, is that right? And that was a goal.

"But, look, I understand 100 per cent and I respect 100 per cent the reason for playing football and having these kinds of competitions is to win the game, and whatever you do – as long as it's in the rules – it's allowed and you can do it. It's completely fine."

Andrew Robertson described Liverpool's players as "devastated" by their Champions League final loss to Real Madrid, as Vinicius Junior's winner condemned the Reds to a heartbreaking reverse in Paris.

The Brazil winger's 59th-minute goal ensured Madrid repeated their 2018 final win over Liverpool to earn their 14th European crown, while only Juventus (five) have now lost more Champions League finals than the Reds (three).

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has now lost more finals in the competition than any other coach (three), and despite winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup after penalty shoot-outs, Liverpool have failed to score a single goal in five and a half hours of football in major finals this term.

Having threatened a quadruple after embarking on a brilliant four-front trophy hunt this season, Liverpool only have the domestic cups to show for their efforts after also missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City.

Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Robertson said the Liverpool dressing room was a sombre place following the narrow reverse, admitting his side had not reached their highest level at the Stade de France.

The Scotland international also hailed Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after he put in a remarkable performance to keep out the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

"Obviously it's quiet, devastated – that's what happens when you come to finals and don't win," Robertson said of the atmosphere among the Liverpool ranks.

"We had chances, we came up against an unbelievable goalie tonight, he pulled off some unbelievable saves. But if we're being honest as well, I think we could have played a bit better, especially in the second half. 

"I thought first half we played well, we were in control, we were the ones pushing. Second half, we didn't start great, they started getting a hold of the game a bit more. 

"When you come up against an experienced team, they know how to win finals. Once they got their noses in front, they showed that."

Liverpool dominated for long periods in the French capital, attempting 24 shots across the contest.

That tally is the most a team have mustered without scoring in a Champions League final since records began (in 2003-04), and Liverpool were punished for their failure to break the deadlock when Vinicius turned home from Federico Valverde's cross.

Robertson was left to rue Madrid's counter-attacking excellence after the loss, also praising the LaLiga champions for their ability to see out the lead.

"We're a pressing team, we try to press from the front, and it's worked so much for us this season," he added. 

"We were trying to win the ball high up, and obviously they've ended up breaking, and then we've been caught at the back post, and next minute it's in the back of your net. That's football for you, and you have to deal with that. 

"Obviously it's hard to get back into the game when you're playing against a very experienced team in these finals, they know exactly how to see out a game. 

"We had our chances, but it just wasn't meant to be."

Jurgen Klopp has revealed the families of Liverpool's players were caught up in the chaotic scenes ahead of their Champions League final with Real Madrid at the Stade de France.

Saturday's contest was delayed by 36 minutes due to large numbers of Liverpool fans still being outside the ground ahead of the scheduled start time of 21:00 CET.

Police outside the venue have been reported to have used tear gas or pepper spray, while a number of fans were recorded attempting to climb over safety barriers.

European football's governing body blamed the delays on supporters with fake tickets trying to get into the 81,000-capacity stadium.

However, in a statement released shortly before full-time in their 1-0 loss, Liverpool hit out at those in charge of security and called for an investigation to be held.

Asked at his post-match news conference about the incident, and the ensuing fallout, Klopp said: "I haven't been able to speak to my family about it yet.

"I know families had a real struggle getting into the stadium. I heard a few things were not good.

"What I heard is that we will have further investigations to figure out what was going on there. Obviously it was pretty tricky out there, but I don’t know more about it."

Vinicius Junior scored the only goal in the 59th minute, though Madrid required a number of fine saves from Thibaut Courtois to land their fifth Champions League in nine years.

Liverpool end a gruelling 2021-22 campaign with an EFL Cup and FA Cup double, having missed out by a point to Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

Michael Owen described Liverpool as the best team in Europe after they lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final, but Rio Ferdinand said it was "disrespectful" to rank the Reds ahead of their conquerors.

Former England striker Owen had playing spells with both Liverpool and Madrid, and he remains convinced the Reds are the continent's top side, despite them finishing runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League and now Madrid in Europe.

After chasing a quadruple for months, Liverpool have finished a remarkable season as FA Cup and EFL Cup winners.

Vinicius Junior settled Saturday's final in Paris, with Thibaut Courtois pulling off several fine saves to keep out Liverpool and clinch a 1-0 win.

"I still think they're the best team in Europe, I really do," Owen said, assessing Liverpool as a pundit on BT Sport.

"On other occasions, Liverpool would be having their name etched on the trophy this time.

"The season they've had, I still think they're the team to beat. Real Madrid have got past them today, but you [Ferdinand] know as well as anyone, a one-off game is a one-off game, it's exactly that. I still think they're the most fearsome team in Europe, and they've not got any of the big two trophies this season to show for that, and that will be the biggest pill to swallow."

Ferdinand, a former captain of Manchester United, responded by saying: "How can you say they're the best team in Europe when they've lost the league, and they've lost the Champions League final?"

Ferdinand acknowledged Liverpool have become an "unbelievably exciting team", but he said: "You've got to get your hands on the big trophies to be called outright the best team in Europe.

"I don't think they can be considered that, and I think it would be disrespectful to a team like Madrid who have gone and done what they've done."