With the chaos surrounding the Champions League final at the end of May, only the calm behavior of the fans in Paris avoided a tragedy with mass panic. An independent investigative report has now blasted UEFA and the Paris police for failing "totally".
In addition to the Paris police, the European football association UEFA is also responsible for the spectator chaos surrounding the Champions League final in May. That is the conclusion of an independent investigative report led by Phil Scraton, who also led the investigation into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.
"Our comprehensive analysis of fans' experiences before, during and after the Champions League final is an indictment of all the authorities involved: UEFA, the Paris police, local and central authorities and the stadium owners," the report said entitled "Treated with contempt". The report, which involved five experts, is based on testimonies from 485 women, men and children, as well as eyewitness reports from international journalists.
Accordingly, UEFA "completely" failed in fulfilling its responsibility. The police officers' continued and indiscriminate attacks, as well as the indiscriminate, reckless and unprovoked use of tear gas against "men, women and children who were trapped in a confined space, have been inconsiderate and dangerous," it said. Human lives were endangered by a collective operational failure.
In addition, there were "criminal attacks" by local gangs, who also stole from numerous fans. The report also concludes that there was insufficient pre-match preparation by UEFA and the Parisian authorities, as well as inadequate precautions to ensure spectator safety. Only because of the calm behavior of the fans would there have been no deaths, but thousands, including children, are now traumatized.
During Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Liverpool on May 28, there was chaos in the Stade de France. The kick-off was delayed by more than half an hour because many fans didn't come to the stadium despite tickets. The police used tear gas, more than 230 people were injured.
An investigation by the French Senate in July also came up with a damning verdict. There was a chain of functional failures at all levels and omissions in preparation. The Paris police had already admitted their failure, the Paris police prefect Didier Lallement gave up his post. UEFA's independent report is due to be published in November. The European Football Association had explained the chaos by the high number of fans without valid tickets.
For many Liverpool fans, what happened in Paris would have brought back memories of the Hillsborough disaster when 97 fans died and more than 700 were injured in the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989. "For the fans who survived the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and everything that happened after, Paris was retraumatizing," said Deena Haydon, author of the current report.
