The chair of an influential Liverpool supporters' union has demanded UEFA accept all 21 recommendations made in the independent report into the chaos outside the Stade de France at last season's Champions League final.
And Joe Blott, who is the head of Spirit of Shankly, believes a full apology must be forthcoming from European football's governing body for the "lies and smears they used to shift responsibility from themselves to innocent fans" following the exoneration match-goers outside the Saint-Denis venue last May.
The 220-page review, which was published on Monday evening and compiled based on interviews and testimonies from witnesses and key stakeholders, absolved Liverpool fans of any wrong-doing and stated that UEFA were "primarily responsible for failures which almost led to disaster".
READ MORE: Liverpool release strong new statement on 'shocking' UEFA Champions League final report
READ MORE: UEFA publish full report and apologise to Liverpool fans after Paris Champions League final chaos
In shocking and distressing scenes outside the Stade de France hours before Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid on May 28, scores of supporters were penned against fences and indiscriminately teargassed by French police before the blame was initially put on "ticketless fans" for the horrendous events.
An official club statement from Liverpool on Tuesday morning strongly condemned the "shocking false narratives" that were "peddled in the immediate aftermath" of the match, while Spirit of Shankly themselves laid the blame squarely at the door of UEFA, the French police and the local authorities.
In a statement seen by the ECHO on Tuesday, SOS chair Mr Blott, who is also part of the Liverpool FC Supporters' Board, has urged UEFA to listen to the recommendations made to avoid similarly dangerous scenes at future showpiece events.
SOS statement in full:
"I welcome the findings of the Independent Panel Inquiry into events surrounding the UEFA Champions League Final in Paris on 28 May 2022 whose report is published today. I particularly note and welcome that Liverpool fans have been cleared of blame and responsibility for the horrendous situations that occurred in and around the Stade de France that night.
"I would like to thank the Panel, led by Dr Tiago Rodrigues, for their diligence and tenacity in seeking the truth and laying the foundation for justice. I also wish to take this opportunity to thank Ian Byrne, MP for Liverpool West Derby, whose determination led the French Senate to allow Liverpool fans to give testimony to them in person and whose ongoing demands for a full retraction and apology for the lies told about the role of the fans, especially by UEFA, are testament to his commitment and persistence on behalf of the people he represents.
"With chilling echoes of Hillsborough and other tragic events, many fans who attended the Champions League final in Paris - be they young, old or disabled - remain traumatised by the events they experienced there. We know too that trauma has been triggered in some fans who also attended, survived, lost loved ones or witnessed the tragic events at Hillsborough and that they are further traumatised by the narrative of blame peddled for 30 years and inexcusably rolled out again after Paris.
"UEFA and all authorities must now accept all 21 recommendations cited in the report and act upon them. They must apologise for the lies and smears they used to shift responsibility from themselves to innocent fans and they must formally retract the untrue statements made about supporters.
"UEFA must ensure that this never happens again and do everything in their power to enable all supporters to attend football matches secure in the knowledge that their safety is paramount and will not be compromised.
"President Emmanuel Macron must acknowledge that it is not acceptable to treat people visiting his country for prestigious sporting events in such a dismissive and challenging way. It was his policing policy that led directly to unprovoked attacks on supporters by police and locals alike and this cannot be allowed to happen again. Nor should Macron allow ministers in his Government to hide their failings and lack of responsibility and accountability by deflecting blame.
"The Football Association (FA), whilst not named in this report, nonetheless represents English football within UEFA and must take note of these findings. The FA’s silence last year makes them culpable in the blame game of 2022, just as they were in 1989. They must heed the findings of this report and act upon them, for the sake of English football and its supporters.
"Sadly, not many fans of other clubs reached out to us following Paris and when the current season started in August 2022, the finger- pointing and blame-shifting continued: 'Always the victims, it’s never your fault' they sang – and still sing.
"The irony of course is that they are all entirely correct, as this report proves beyond any doubt - football fans were the victim and it wasn’t their fault. I am proud and feel thoroughly vindicated that the fight we took to UEFA and a nation state and its authorities was the right thing to do, not just for our supporters who were in Paris last May, but for all supporters across the whole of Europe.
"We walked on with hope in our hearts and now no one will walk alone in future when they attend a Champions League final.
"Joe Blott, Chair, Spirit of Shankly."
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