KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTING —- European federation UEFA has taken an exceptional step for a football governing body and apologised to fans caught up in the chaotic events at the Stade de France before and after the Champions League Final in which Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0.

Football’s governing bodies traditionally take every measure possible, deliver how ever many weasel words, to avoid admitting any semblance of error.

In fact, UEFA was on a loser as soon as it cast up a statement on the stadium screen blaming the late arrival of fans for the delayed kickoff last Saturday.

Not only verbal statements but video clips demonstrated clearly that French authorities – entrusted with event staging by UEFA – had blundered in both planning and overseeing fan controls and protection.

Fans complained about being trapped in crushes, about being assaulted by the police with pepper spray and tear gas. Staff from sponsors and visiting officials also complained about the incompetence.

Both Liverpool and Madrid had submitted formal complaints to UEFA which commissioned a report from Portuguese Socialist politician Tiago Brandao Rodrigues.

Now UEFA has gone one step further, saying: “UEFA wishes to sincerely apologise to all spectators who had to experience or witness frightening and distressing events in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France on 28 May 2022 in Paris, on a night, which should have been a celebration of European club football.

“No football fan should be put in that situation, and it must not happen again.”

Easier said that done.

Macron intervention

Initial attempts to French government ministers to cast all the blame on fans – both those with tickets and those without – backfired. Caustic rebukes in the French media have promoted President Emmanuel Macron to step in with a clarification of his own.

Macron said ticket holders who were blocked from entering the stadium by security staff must be reimbursed “as fast as possible”.

He added: “I have a thought for the families who have been pushed around, who have not been able to access the seats they had paid for.

“I have asked the government to clarify what happened, to determine the responsibilities and to explain them in detail to our compatriots, the British and the Spanish.”

Real Madrid – which already had a tetchy relationship with UEFA – demanded to know why the Stade de France had been chosen for the game as a late substitute for St Petersburg and who was “responsible for leaving the fans abandoned and defenceless”.

A statement added: “We would like to know the reasons which led to this venue being chosen to host the final and the criteria used, taking into account the experiences of the day.

“Furthermore, we call for answers and explanations in order to determine those responsible for leaving the fans abandoned and defenceless. Fans who in general terms showed exemplary conduct at all times.

UEFA statement:

UEFA wishes to sincerely apologise to all spectators who had to experience or witness frightening and distressing events in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France on 28 May 2022 in Paris, on a night, which should have been a celebration of European club football. No football fan should be put in that situation, and it must not happen again.

To that end, immediately after the events, UEFA commissioned an Independent Review to identify shortcomings and responsibilities of all entities involved in the organisation of the final, and has today published the Terms of Reference for this review. 

The Independent Review, which will be led by Dr Tiago Brandão Rodrigues from Portugal, aims at understanding what happened in the build-up to the final, and determining what lessons should be learned to ensure there is no repeat of the actions and events of that day.

The Review will seek to establish a full picture and timeline of what occurred during the day, both within the stadium and the surrounding areas, including examining spectator flows to the stadium via the various access points.

It will also examine all relevant operational plans related to security, mobility, ticketing, as well as others at the discretion of the chairman of the Review, and will examine the planning and preparedness of the involved entities for the staging of the final, including at additional sites such as the Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF fan meeting points.

The Independent Review aims to identify any issues or gaps in the implementation and running of operations and assess the roles and responsibilities of all the entities involved and the adequacy of their response to events, in order to make recommendations on best practices for the future for UEFA and the relevant stakeholders.

The Review will engage with UEFA and all relevant stakeholders, including, but not limited to, fan groups including Football Supporters Europe as well as those of the two finalist clubs; the finalist clubs themselves; general spectators; the French Football Federation; the Police and other public national and local authorities, and the stadium operator.

Further information on how relevant parties can submit their testimonies (via a dedicated email address or an online questionnaire) will be communicated shortly.

The findings of the Review, conclusions, and recommendations will be set out in detail in the Report and will be those of Dr. Tiago Brandão Rodrigues and the experts who will support him. The Review will start immediately and should be concluded within the shortest possible timeframe needed to produce a comprehensive review of the events.

Once completed, the Report will be published by UEFA on www.uefa.com in the interests of transparency. 

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