October 18 – An independent panel has labelled UEFA’s handling of last season’s Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid as “an abject failure” and says it was lucky no-one died.
Major police and security failures before the match in Paris saw significant numbers of Liverpool fans attacked and robbed as police used tear gas on supporters at the Stade de France with kick-off delayed by 36 minutes.
Organisers and French officials initially blamed ticketless fans, but those claims were quickly refuted with UEFA opening its own inquiry into the incidents which is expected to conclude next month.
A report from the French parliament has already admitted Liverpool fans had been ‘stereotyped’ and unfairly blamed for the chaos.
The independent report compiled by five leading authorities in their respective fields accused UEFA of failing to prepare for the game and advised an ’emergency management review’.
“Held for several hours in a bottleneck close to the ground, then again in static queues at malfunctioning turnstiles, fans were subjected to unprovoked tear-gassing by the paramilitary police,” the report read. “On leaving the stadium they were attacked at knife-point by gangs who stole their possessions. They were tear-gassed repeatedly by the police.
“Without protection, many who had paid significant amounts of money for match tickets, travel and accommodation did not enter the stadium. Fortuitously, no-one died but those injured missed their travel home. Thousands, including children, have been left traumatised.”
“It is difficult to comprehend the sequence of events that constituted the debacle in Paris, leaving so many people physically injured, psychologically harmed and financially compromised.”
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