UEFA has announced that all Liverpool fans who attended last year’s Champions League final will receive a refund in response to the mistreatment of supporters outside the Stade de France.
Kickoff was delayed by 36 minutes due to the unfolding chaos outside the Stade de France, where it was also reported that trapped fans were targeted by local gangs.
Real Madrid defeated the Reds 1-0 on the night thanks to Vinicius Junior‘s winner, but the result soon paled into insignificance, and Liverpool fans were initially blamed for the disorder.
UEFA and French authorities claimed that fans arriving late – either with fake tickets or no tickets at all – instigated the chaos,
a baseless allegation strenuously denied by supporters and journalists among the crowd.
Some Liverpool supporters, who had queued for over two hours outside locked gates, were also sprayed with tear gas by French police, who were using unnecessary force outside the stadium.
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A statement from UEFA read:
‘We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately and we believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair.
‘We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organisations Spirit of Shankly (SoS) and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association (LDSA) as well as the open and transparent dialogue throughout this period.
‘We recognise the negative experiences of those supporters on the day and with this scheme we will refund fans who had bought tickets and who were the most affected by the difficulties in accessing the stadium.’
The independent report into the chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France blamed UEFA for the incident and claimed that is was ‘remarkable that no one lost their life’.
‘The panel has concluded that Uefa, as event owner, bears primary responsibility for failures which almost led to disaster,’ the report said.
‘The dangerous conditions on the concourse outside the turnstiles were compounded by the police deploying teargas at disorderly groups of locals, as well as using pepper spray on supporters trying to gain entrance with valid tickets.
‘It is remarkable that no one lost their life.
‘All the stakeholders interviewed by the panel have agreed that this situation was a near-miss: a term used when an event almost turns into a mass fatality catastrophe.’
Following the findings of the independent report last month, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted that he was “really happy” to see his side’s fans cleared of any wrongdoing.
