The 2022 Champions League final between the Reds and Real Madrid in Saint-Denis was marred by incidents and scenes of violence.
UEFA has decided to compensate all supporters of English club Liverpool who bought their tickets to attend the Champions League final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on May 28, according to a press release from UEFA. european football body published on tuesday 7 march.
Ten months after the serious incidents and scenes of violence at the Stade de France, the 20,000 or so Liverpool fans present in the enclosure will receive a refund corresponding to the price of their place. This concerns tickets for gates A, B, C, X, Y and Z as well as all ticket holders who were unable to access the stadium before kick-off. “We recognize the negative experiences these supporters had that day and through this program we will reimburse those supporters who had purchased tickets and who were most affected by the difficulties in accessing the stadium.”explains UEFA. “We have considered a large number of views expressed both publicly and privately and believe we have developed a comprehensive and fair system”continues the European football body, organizer of the final. “UEFA is committed to learning from the events and will work closely with supporter groups, finalist clubs, host associations and local authorities to deliver exceptional finals where everyone can enjoy the game in a safe environment. , secure and welcoming”the statement said.
Real Madrid supporters are also affected and if they meet the criteria, they will be reimbursed if they have requested it through UEFA’s customer service. Ditto for the “neutral” spectators who did not support either Real or Liverpool and who bought their tickets from UEFA.
UEFA had already acknowledged its responsibilities
In February, UEFA reiterated its apologies after a report by a group of experts responsible for establishing the responsibilities of the security fiasco of the final of the queen event of the old continent. “UEFA played a central role in the organization of the event and they should have watched, supervised and contributed to the security measures”, argued the experts in particular. The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin had in the wake of the match incriminated the British supporters, accusing them in particular of having falsified “massively” their tickets. “False stories were peddled in the wake of that night in Paris, statements that have since been completely refuted”had reacted in February the Liverpool club after the publication of the independent report.
After the events, more than 2,000 English supporters notably launched collective legal action against UEFA. A “trauma” for Reds fans still haunted by Hillsborough. “What happened in Paris has reignited the suffering of families, friends and survivors of Hillsborough”, concluded the press release from the Liverpool club. In 1989, a crowd movement caused the death of 97 supporters in the Sheffield stadium.