I had a very similar experience and thoughts since. I’ll think long and hard about going to another final. I thought Athens was a disaster from an organisational point of view, but this was on a completely different level.
I understand the concept of checkpoints on the way in to control and organise the crowds, but they were completely unorganised, and only served to add to the chaos and disruption. I was lucky we got to the right hand under the motorway bridge which we got through relatively quickly. All other queues were stopped for some period, and then those that get through were held again for no apparent reason.
The “turnstiles” were wholly insufficient - all understaffed and those that were there were completely ineffective. It was “rabbits in headlights” everywhere you turned.
You can’t hire inexperienced staff, and expect them to know what to do. UEFA needs a genuine investigation, and some serious structural changes for future events. Don’t charge sky hire prices and then not invest in your most high profile events.
We got through at Turnstile A, and had to go the wrong way around most of the stadium - I’m sure plenty of others did, which just added to the crowd, and chaos. Every single gate we went past looked completely disorganised, adding to rising tensions, and almost inviting disorder. I’m very careful about lazy stereotypes, as we are inevitably tarred by similar accusations, but I just saw hundreds pleading for help, some common sense, or trying to help those around them.
I tried to mentally get into game, but like most others, I was mostly thinking of what had happened before and what was going to happen afterwards. We stayed in the ground as long as possible until we were physically asked to leave. Probably a good call in hindsight. St Denis definitely wasn’t an area I want want to spend any time in again.
We left central Paris at 5.15pm and got in just as players finished first warm up, and KO announcement was made - really didn’t surprise me that this “late arrival of fans” was the reason given! Not sure what else we or everyone could’ve done.