UEFA has apologised to Liverpool and Real Madrid following the troubling scenes witnessed before the Champions League final.
Reds fans were pictured being funnelled into a tight area prior to the game outside the Stade de France, which led to the match being delayed by more than 30 minutes. Many experienced difficulties getting into the stadium, despite queuing for more than two hours and holding valid tickets.
Upon announcing the delay to the game, UEFA displayed a message inside the ground that accused fans of turning up late - something fiercely criticised by onlookers and those in the middle of the chaos. The second time these claims were displayed, they were met by boos from Liverpool fans.
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This week, Real Madrid published a strongly-worded statement which asked UEFA to look into the entry troubles. Amid heavy pressure to launch an enquiry, European football's governing body has commissioned an independent review into what happened.
A statement released on Friday read: “UEFA wishes to sincerely apologise to all spectators who had to experience or witness frightening and distressing events in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France on 28 May 2022 in Paris, on a night which should have been a celebration of European club football.
“No football fan should be put in that situation, and it must not happen again. To that end, immediately after the events, UEFA commissioned an Independent Review to identify shortcomings and responsibilities of all entities involved in the organisation of the final.”
"The Review will start immediately and should be concluded within the shortest possible time frame needed to produce a comprehensive review of the events. Once completed, the Report will be published by UEFA on www.uefa.com in the interests of transparency.”
