UEFA's president has admitted that the fan experience for the Champions League final was 'not perfect' as he spoke of the criticism received from Manchester City fans for the first time.
City beat Inter Milan at the Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul, on June 10, however many of the 20,000 or so Blues fans have complained over the poor conditions for supporters throughout the final experience. With the stadium located miles out of town, fans had the option to take the only metro line that served the stadium or make their way by road - either on UEFA-provided shuttle buses or individually.
With traffic problems on that single highway from the centre of Istanbul to the Ataturk Stadium, many fans had to get out of taxis and walk along the side of the road to the ground, while there were multiple reports of shuttle buses taking hours to even leave the stadium car park after the game.
Add to that, fans have complained about a lack of water and toilets on those buses, and when they were in the stadium, of a lack of toilets and refreshment facilities.
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The concerns come after the 2022 final in Paris, where Liverpool fans were penned in and denied access in some cases, causing dangerous scenes. An independent report into last year's final found that UEFA should bear 'primary responsibility' for a situation that almost became a 'mass fatality catastrophe'.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was speaking at the European Football Fans Congress, held at the National Football Museum in Manchester, and said: "Given what some of you experienced recently, I would understand if I got a cold reception tonight."
Regarding the Istanbul final, Ceferin admitted that the issues raised must be addressed. "We are well aware that in Istanbul not everything was perfect," he said.
"I am certainly not playing down the problems encountered by some. But let us continue working together to improve what can we improve.
"I'm thinking in particular transport links to and from stadium, the hosting of the stadium supporters and access to water and toilets for everyone."
Ceferin said that this year's men's and women's Champions League finals 'proved UEFA had learned from past mistakes', but also referenced the events in Paris last year.
“I also came here to say sorry," he said. "We would love to erase events that happened last year. Everyone welcomed the decision to move the Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris and we know what happened.
“Good intentions are often not enough, we know that and we are sorry for that. I think we should roll up our sleeves and ensure that attending a football match remains a unique and unforgettable experience for everyone.”
