Liverpool fans affected by the chaos surrounding the 2022 Champions League final in Paris have the right to have their personal injury claims heard in the UK, a judge has ruled, after an attempt by European football’s governing body to block it.
A number of Liverpool supporters were hurt at the Stade de France in Paris during overcrowding when their club played against Real Madrid in the men’s final of the European competition on 28 May 2022.
A judge on Friday dismissed Uefa’s argument that personal injury claims should not be heard in Liverpool, which revolve around claims the governing body failed to ensure a safe environment for those watching the game, which Liverpool went on to lose 1-0.
A Guardian investigation in the aftermath of the game found Liverpool supporters suffered a near disaster when they were teargassed by police and suffered attacks from violent thugs. Children were among those pepper sprayed unprovoked by police.
In the wake of the incident, the French government, police and Uefa united to blame Liverpool supporters for the episode, claiming the chaos was caused by thousands seeking entry with fake tickets, reminiscent of the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, when the deaths of 97 people were falsely blamed on fans of the club.
The high court proceedings were brought in April 2023 by the law firm Leigh Day. Uefa then sought to block the cases being heard in Liverpool, using the common law Foreign Act of State doctrine, which is the principle that English courts will not inquire into the legality of acts by a foreign government.
This application was heard in July 2024 and was rejected by the high court on Friday morning, which means personal injury claims will be able to be brought in the fans’ home city.
One Hillsborough survivor said he feared for his life and was left with lasting flashbacks when held in a crowd by Paris police. Others suffered serious injury after being attacked and robbed by gangs of local men, which the victims alleged French police did little to stop.
Many fans were so shaken by the experience they vowed not to return to France or to travel to a European away game in future.
An independent review, commissioned by Uefa, found “the near miss experienced at the Champions League final was largely the result of poor planning, a lack of oversight of plans, poor interoperability between various stakeholders, and a lack of contingencies”. The report concluded that Uefa bore “primary responsibility” for the organisational and safety failures. Uefa disputes these conclusions.
It says it has already settled some claims by fans “without any admission of liability” and on confidential terms.
In a statement after Friday’s hearing, Uefa said: “Today’s judgment says that it is too early in the proceedings to know whether Uefa’s position is correct or not. The judgment says that Uefa’s arguments will be revisited once more information is available.
“This is the only remaining claim brought by Liverpool fans in relation to the 2022 Champions League final. The other two claims were resolved following discussions described by legal representatives of both sets of fans as ‘constructive’.”
Clare Campbell, one of the personal injury solicitors representing some of the fans, said her clients were “delighted” the claims could proceed. “However, they have suffered significant delay due to the defendants’ attempt to prevent the claims being heard in the English courts – they now want their claims to be resolved as soon as possible in the hope that they can move on with their lives.”
