A law firm is investigating a major group legal action on behalf of Liverpool fans who attended the Champions League in Paris in May.
UK firm Leigh Day says it has been contacted by a number of Reds fans and is now actively investigating a potential group claim against Champions League organisers UEFA for those living in England and Wales who suffered physical or psychological injuries at the final in Paris. The team believes that 5-10,000 people could be affected and would be able to join the claim.
Reds fans faced chaos, danger and distress both before and after the May 28 final at the Stade de France in the Saint-Denis area of the French capital. Supporters - including children and those with disabilities - were forced into cramped and dangerous spaces before the game as turnstiles remained closed, before being indiscriminately sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray by French police. After the match, many were beaten and robbed by local gangs.
READ MORE: Pensioner hadn't eaten for four days as cost of living crisis deepens
While the potential group claim would be brought under French law, Leigh Day said it intends to bring the claim in England. It will allege that UEFA failed to ensure a safe and secure environment for those attending the match.
Consumer and travel law experts Clare Campbell and Jill Paterson are leading the legal team investigating the Stade de France claims. They said: “Supporters who had paid to watch a football match at the highest level of the game should have been able to expect that robust safety protocols and adequate risk assessments would be put in place by UEFA, sadly this does not appear to be the case.
“We believe UEFA failed to provide a safe and secure environment for those attending and we are investigating their legal liability to those who suffered injuries as a result.
“It was truly shocking to see how Liverpool fans and others who had travelled to watch the Champions League final were treated both at the match and in the aftermath. The accounts of their experiences paint a picture of a terrifying situation where people really feared for their lives."
The French authorities initially attempted to blame fans, and particularly Liverpool FC fans, for causing the overcrowding and clashes by claiming thousands had travelled to the stadium with counterfeit tickets, that fans had arrived late and that those who travelled to the stadium and surrounding areas without tickets also caused overcrowding problems.
However, a report by the French Senate released last month completely exonerated the travelling Reds supporters and identified serious collective failures in the organisation of the event including the use of blocking tactics usually reserved for antiterrorism operations; a failure to anticipate transport flows on the night, problems with pre-screening checks and digital tickets.
Senate inquiry co-chairman Laurent Lafon said: “Liverpool supporters wanting to support their team are not responsible for what happened. The number of people around the stadium did not cause all the chaos. We know these fans travel en masse, that was foreseen.
“Every authority was acting on their own without co-operating, and that means nobody really felt they were responsible for anything. This was a chain of administrative errors. It is clear that the arguments put forward by the minister of the interior Gérald Darmanin, including that there was a massive ticket forgery, are not the cause of the problems at this match.”
Leigh Day is one of the country’s leading law firms with offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and London. The firm has specialist expertise in consumer law, travel law and personal injury and is acting in some of the largest group actions ever taken in the UK.
UEFA is carrying out its own investigation into the handling of the Paris final. Having initially suggested the problems were caused by late arriving fans, the governing body eventually released a statement apologising for the chaos.
The statement said: "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."
For more information or to register interest in the group claim, click here.
READ NEXT:
Families living in fear of 'Balaclava Gang' hire private security firm
Man punched boy, 12, who threw eggs at his car
'Anger and disbelief' on the picket line at latest Arriva bus driver offer
Thick smoke billows out former 051 nightclub as fire rips through 'troubled' building
