Liverpool supporters have been cleared of any wrongdoing at last season's Champions League final - and credited with helping to save lives with their actions.
Thousands of fans descended upon Paris last May to watch their team take on Real Madrid at the Stade de France. However, before the game had even kicked off they were subjected to heavy-handed policing, with tear gas deployed and fans kettled into small areas at risk of causing crushes.
UEFA attempted to lay the blame at the feet of supporters, claims which have now been labelled as “reprehensible” by an independent inquiry. The panel of experts was assembled by UEFA to conduct a thorough investigation into the events which unfolded in the French capital.
And after a four-month review, it has been revealed that UEFA bears the “primary responsibility” for the safety failures which “almost led to disaster.” The report, which hasn’t been officially released, is understood to exonerate supporters and instead lay the blame at the feet of both police and UEFA itself.
The 158-page document claims that officials at UEFA were aware that the organisation ignored safety and security measures in the build-up, but did nothing to rectify the potential issues.
“UEFA’s lack of oversight upon delegation of private safety and security matters, deference of all such matters in the public space to policing authorities, and simply not following its own safety, security and service requirements, was a recipe for the failures which occurred,” the report states.
“Senior officials at the top of UEFA allowed this to happen, even though the shortcomings of its model were widely known at senior management level.”
The report adds that Liverpool fans were not to blame for the incidents after claims of ‘masses of ticketless fans’ attempted to gain illegal entry into the stadium. Instead, travelling Reds supporters were praised for their actions and helped avert disaster.
“The collective actions of Liverpool FC supporters were probably instrumental in protecting vulnerable people and averting what might well have been more serious injuries and deaths,” the report found. “It is remarkable that no one lost their life.”
Liverpool have condemned the leaking of the report, having yet to see it themselves officially. In a brief statement, the club said: It’s hugely disappointing that a report of such significance, such importance to football supporters’ lives and future safety, should be leaked and published in this way.
“It’s been over eight months of work by the independent panel and it is only right and proper to publish the contents of the report to our supporters appropriately. We will await to receive a copy of the report and digest it thoroughly before making any further comment.”
It is said that authorities based their policing tactics on a misconception of hooliganism based on the Hillsborough disaster. The French police force also failed to provide an adequate summary of their plan and made the situation worse with their actions.
Paris officials have been told that the report should serve as a “wake-up call” for improvements before this year’s Rugby World Cup final and the Olympics next summer.
It adds: “Despite Mr Cadot’s willingness to accept that mistakes had been made [at the final], the panel is concerned that there remains a misconception about what actually happened and a complacency regarding what needs to change.
“This is particularly acute given the proximity of the Rugby World Cup and Olympic and Paralympic Games and the importance of the Stade de France to both events.”
