UEFA have attempted to gloss over the chaotic scenes which preceded last season’s Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in their technical report of last season.
Thousands of expectant fans descended upon Paris back in May, with the two European heavyweights going toe-to-toe to be crowned the best side in the continent. Madrid would ultimately run out 1-0 winners, but the game itself was marred by dangerous crushes and heavy handed police tactics outside the Stade de France.
The game was delayed by almost an hour as supporters travelling from Merseyside were aggressively cattled by officers with many sprayed by tear gas.
The European governing body quickly attributed the cause of the 36-minute delay to fans and alleged that many were in possession of fake tickets. France’s sports minister Amelia Oudea-Castera and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin parroted the apocryphal tales from the stadium and attempted to shift the blame towards supporters.
However, a scathing report subsequently released by the French Senate exonerated both sets of fans and confirmed the scenes were caused by entrenched organisational failures.
"It is unfair to have wanted to make supporters of the Liverpool team bear the responsibility for the disturbances that occurred, as the Minister of the Interior did to divert attention from the inability of the state to adequately manage the crowds present and to curb the action of several hundred violent and co-ordinated offenders,” the report released in July reads.
It was revealed that police officers had prejudicially judged the Liverpool fans, with the report continuing. "The systems put in place had major shortcomings with regard to the intelligence (absence of hooligans but presence of delinquents in large numbers), the transport routes for supporters (removal of a drop-off route at the surroundings of the stadium) and insufficient communication.”
Apologies have since trickled down to disgruntled fans, firstly from Darmanin himself: "Could the Stade de France have been better managed? The answer is yes. Do I have some responsibility for that? The answer is yes. I apologise to those who suffered from this poor management. It is certain we have changes to make to the organisation."
The former chief of Paris Police Didier Lallement has stepped down from his role in the aftermath. The 65-year-old was another who initially attempted to defect blame, before admitting he had been "wounded from the failure" of the night.
UEFA also offered apologies and confirmed that an investigation would be carried out, with findings expected next month. "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 May 28, 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.” Dr Tiago Brandao Rodrigues is due to disclose his findings, but in UEFA’s own technical report they make little mention to the fundamental issues around the stadium prior to kick-off, almost glossing over the incidents altogether.
In page 10 of the technical report of the tournament released on Wednesday, it reads: "For all the colour inside [the stadium], this was a final whose kick-off was delayed for 36 minutes amid distressing scenes for supporters outside.
"The impact on players who had to leave the dressing rooms for a second warm-up prior to the eventual kick-off was a moot point."
There is then no other mention of the incidents in the detailed report of the final, despite the French authorities admissions.
