Lawyers representing more than 800 Liverpool supporters who suffered injury and trauma in the chaos of the Champions League final last May have formally written to Uefa threatening to take legal action unless full compensation is paid.
Leigh Day, one of the three firms who are representing almost 3,000 people caught up in the catastrophic disorganisation at the Stade de France in Paris, argue that the supporters are entitled to compensation for their physical and psychological injuries under French law. If Uefa does not accept it is liable for the safety failures at the final between Liverpool and Real Madrid, or fails to agree compensation, Leigh Day has warned that it will bring a claim in the high court in Liverpool.
The “pre-action” letter to European football’s confederation follows the publication of a damning report by Uefa’s independent review panel on 13 February. It found that Uefa had “primary responsibility” for the safety failures that caused catastrophic congestion and crushing at the stadium which, exacerbated by hostile and disorganised policing by French officers who used pepper spray and teargas, could have led to a “mass fatality” disaster. The report concluded that Uefa had “marginalised” its own safety and security unit, headed since 2021 by Zeljko Pavlica, a close friend of the president, Aleksander Ceferin.
Leigh Day argues as the basis of the legal claim that Uefa breached its obligations as the organiser of the final to ensure the safety of the supporters who bought tickets. A long series of failings is alleged against Uefa, including a failure to consult its safety and security unit.
Liverpool supporters who have instructed the firm suffered injuries from being crushed against gates at turnstiles that were closed for long periods before the match, and from the teargas and pepper spray. Many, including some who were also at the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough in April 1989 when 97 people were unlawfully killed by a crush, have experienced psychological distress since the Paris chaos, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Clare Campbell and Jill Paterson, the Leigh Day partners responsible for the group claim, said: “Since the publication of the report, Uefa has issued an apology to fans and has said it will be announcing a ‘special refund scheme’, but we believe those who have suffered deserve more than the price of a ticket.
“For a lot of our clients, the reason they are part of the claim is about accountability and part of that is redress. Offering appropriate compensation is part of Uefa recognising the significant part it played in the chaos that unfolded at the 2022 Champions League final and the injuries and traumas that were suffered as a result.”
Uefa said when the report was published that it would create “a special refund scheme for fans”, although it has so far provided no further details. In its statement, the European football confederation did not say it accepted the report, but that it was “currently analysing the findings of the review and assessing them against its own analysis of the organisation of the event and facts that occurred around it”.
Uefa’s general secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, issued an apology “to all those who were affected by the events”, and to Liverpool supporters for “for the experiences many of them had when attending the game and for the messages released prior to and during the game which had the effect of unjustly blaming them for the situation leading to the delayed kick-off”.
Uefa has been contacted for comment in relation to the legal complaint.
