UEFA Release Damming Champions League Final Report

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) released a long-awaited independent report on Monday, 13 February, evaluating the chaos that rocked last year’s Champions League final match.

According to the report, UEFA bears the “primary responsibility” for the violent scenes which unfolded between fans and police before Liverpool took on Real Madrid at Stade de France in Paris on 28 May 2022. “It is remarkable no one lost their life,” the report added.

At the time, Reds fans were penned in and tear-gassed while trying to enter the stadium. One supporter called it a “carnival of horrors” which led to the match being delayed by 36 minutes.

“UEFA was central to the organisation of the event, and it should have monitored, supervised and assisted with security and safety measures, to ensure they were fit for purpose, and to identify and remedy problems before they arose in real time,” the report stated.

The European football governing body has also issued an official apology to Liverpool supporters for initially blaming them for the chaos.

Jordan Henderson, captain of the Liverpool club, tweeted on Tuesday, 14 February, that “The Paris report needs to be a turning point for the treatment of football fans. No one should have their safety jeopardised by inadequate organisation.”

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