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The independent review found the incident to be almost catastrophic, but not the fault of Liverpool fans
A UEFA-commissioned independent review into the Champions League final fiasco that led to fans outside the Stade de France being tear-gassed and pepper sprayed is set to reveal that French police and UEFA themselves were at fault for the fracas that could have potentially had dire consequences.
Notably, the report will also exonerate Liverpool fans, who have taken the Lions’ share of the blame for that incident and have always maintained their innocence.
Ugly scenes at the 2021/22 UCL final
Just before the start of the 2021/22 final of the UEFA Champions League, there were ugly scenes outside Stade de France, where the final was hosted, with videos of fans being harassed outside the grounds and large crowds struggling to gain access to the stadium.
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These problems caused the final to be delayed by 37 minutes, and in the aftermath, the bulk of the blame was placed on Liverpool supporters, who were accused of being unruly, arriving late, and trying to enter the stadium after purchasing fake tickets en masse.
According to Sky Sports, the yet-to-be-released report is set to absolve Liverpool fans of all these accusations, as no evidence was found to support the theory that they were at fault for any of the problems that day.
Liverpool fans to be exonerated of all accusations
The report will instead find UEFA (as the event owners) and the French authorities (including the FFF and the French police) to be at fault for the incident. It will also find that the police lacked a proper plan for the situation they faced and were overzealous in their use of tear gas and pepper spray in a densely packed enclosed area.
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The report will also find the police at fault for not properly safeguarding the event and protecting Liverpool fans from locals who jumped fences and attacked fans.
The independent report is also believed to criticise allegedly flawed accounts by UEFA Events SA CEO Martin Kallen and also find the UEFA division running tournaments and showpiece matches at fault for discounting the safety and security unit with the use of subcontracted stewards and shirking responsibility in the aftermath.
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