Champions League final: Trauma of Liverpool fans raises serious questions for Uefa
When Uefa moved the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris three months ago in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the assumption was that it would result in the smooth execution of the biggest match in club football.
Regrettably, the footage and testimony of many Liverpool fans and neutral observers who attended the final against Real Madrid on Saturday show that was anything but the case.
French police used tear gas and pepper spray; supporters were penned into a narrow walkway and forced to wait for hours outside the Stade de France; some reported being refused entry despite having valid tickets; and the chaos caused kick-off to be delayed by more than half an hour.
It has led to serious questions being asked about the handling of the event by French authorities and Uefa, European football’s governing body. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries called for Uefa to launch an investigation, saying: “It is in the interests of everyone involved to understand what happened and to learn lessons from these events.”
Those on the ground said the funnelling of all Liverpool supporters through a very narrow channel caused a bottleneck and led to them being held up outside the stadium for around two hours. “It was potentially very dangerous,” Dan Tunna, a Liverpool supporter who lives in Paris and had a ticket for a neutral section of the venue, told City A.M.
Tunna said elderly fans were among those near him forced to stand in the late afternoon heat for hours, with little or no communication about why they were being held. One reason for the bottleneck was to set up a checkpoint for tickets before supporters reached the gate, but Tunna said no one asked to see his until he reached the turnstiles.
Growing anxiety turned to fear when some people scaled fences in an attempt to break into the stadium and police reacted by using tear gas and pepper spray on Liverpool supporters. Footage suggests however that most if not all of those trying to force their way in were locals and not in Liverpool colours.
The problems did not end when the final whistle sounded on Real Madrid’s 1-0 win. “After the game there was a menacing feel in the air,” said Tunna. Locals were asking for used tickets so that they might enter the stadium. Police presence was by then minimal. Some Liverpool fans reported being mugged on the Metro leaving the area.
For Uefa, the apparent mishandling of another of its most important occasions, less than a year after the bedlam of the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, ought to be deeply uncomfortable. While both events involved English fans, on this occasion there is no evidence of any wrongdoing by Liverpool supporters. Uefa’s initial attempt to blame the delay to kick-off on the late arrival of supporters was quickly shown to be wrong.
Tunna was relieved to have “got off lightly” compared to other Liverpool fans who arrived just slightly later than him. But it has made him, and no doubt many others, think twice about attending similar occasions in future.
“People have paid a lot of money. You don’t expect to be treated that way. There is a duty of care on Uefa and the event organisers,” he said. “I just feel for those with kids who were clearly quite traumatised by it. It would definitely put you off going to major events.”