France

Report: UEFA Responsible For 2022 Champions League Final Chaos

Published FEB 14 2023

Story

Image credit: Getty Images [via The New York Times]

The Facts

The UEFA-appointed independent panel to review the chaos that marred last season's Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Paris has concluded that the European football confederation is primarily responsible for "failures which almost led to disaster."
guardian
The report released on Monday cited an absence of oversight of safety and security and that UEFA's failures were aggravated by missteps by Paris police and the French Football Federation during the match, which saw fans held up in overcrowded queues and tear-gassed.
CNN
Investigators stressed eight key factors that led to a near miss — when an event almost leads to mass fatalities — including poor route planning, inadequate ticketing systems and entry mechanisms, and large groups of locals gaining entry to the stadium.
BBC News
The behavior of Liverpool fans, who were initially blamed without proper evidence for allegedly arriving late and forging thousands of tickets, was completely absolved.
Independent
The English club reacted to the publication by issuing a statement urging UEFA to fully implement the panel's 21 recommendations, adding that no action has been taken to date on 15 recommendations made by an independent French Senate report in July.
Sky News
UEFA says it's currently analyzing the panel's findings and reviewing its recommendations to enhance safety at future finals. It is also reportedly planning a refund scheme for fans.
UEFA.com

Sources Split

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ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The truth about what happened in Paris finally came out despite UEFA's efforts to cover its wrongdoing while blaming others – including unscrupulously reproducing the same lies that have haunted and libeled Liverpool fans since the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. Though it's true that host states are responsible for policing, UEFA must ensure that fans are protected.

Liverpool Echo

Narrative B

UEFA indeed has primary responsibility for failures that put the safety of fans at risk, but the role of law enforcement can't be overlooked. French police created an explosive atmosphere by adopting a belligerent method aimed at a nonexistent threat and have adopted a complacent attitude toward correcting their errors— this near-miss must serve as a wake-up call for the 2024 Paris Olympics organizers.