Uefa is to refund Liverpool fans who had tickets for the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.
It follows a recent independent report that found Uefa bears “primary responsibility” for the chaotic scenes before the game against Real Madrid.
Fans were penned in and sprayed with tear gas outside Paris’ Stade de France as kick-off was delayed by 36 minutes.
Uefa said the refund scheme “covers all of the Liverpool FC ticket allocation for the final, i.e. 19,618 tickets”.
“We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately and we believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair,” said Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis.
“We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organisations Spirit of Shankly and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association as well as the open and transparent dialogue throughout this period.
“We recognise the negative experiences of those supporters on the day and with this scheme we will refund fans who had bought tickets and who were the most affected by the difficulties in accessing the stadium.”
Liverpool were also part of the process of securing refunds for their fans and, as supporters bought tickets from them directly rather than Uefa, the club will administer the process.
Uefa and French authorities initially blamed ticketless fans for the events outside the stadium.
The report, which Uefa commissioned after the 28 May final, said there was “no evidence” to support the “reprehensible” claims.
It added that “it is remarkable no one lost their life” and the collective action of Liverpool supporters was “probably instrumental” in preventing “more serious injuries and deaths” outside the stadium.
The report made 21 recommendations in an attempt to ensure “everything possible is done” to prevent any similar incident happening again at a major sporting event.
Spirit of Shankly and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters’ Association said they “welcomed” the “unprecedented” refund from Uefa.
“With a promise to reimburse supporters, Uefa have gone some way to acknowledging their part in the fiasco,” said a statement.
“But it does not excuse Uefa, exempt them from criticism or lessen the need for them to implement all of the recommendations made by the independent inquiry.
“We will work alongside Liverpool and publish details once we know how and when refunds will be processed.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, whose side lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in the final, said it was “super important” that the club’s fans had been exonerated for the situation which occurred before the game.
A law firm representing Liverpool fans in a claim against Uefa relating to events in Paris has said it “will be pushing ahead with our legal claim to seek appropriate compensation for our clients”, while another said “our legal case is still progressing”.
Source: BBC
