UEFA bears “primary responsibility” for the “nearly catastrophic” incidents in the 2021/22 Champions League final, according to a panel report commissioned by European football’s governing body.
UEFA , “as the host of the event, who bears the main responsibility for the failures that almost led to disaster.”
The document, which Lusa had access to, also points the finger at the police authorities of the French capital and the French Football Federation (FFF) for the security problems registered on May 28, 2022, as well as the difficulties in “maintaining the order”, which still “does not releases UEFA from liability.”
The ‘gluing’ of Britons with ‘hooligans’, violent supporters, was ‘inexplicable’, the report says, after they were initially charged by the French government during a contempt last May.
An extensive list of findings from an independent committee of inquiry led by Brandão Rodrigues lists poor management of the flow of people arriving through the various entrances to the stadium, access problems, groups of locals who have attacked supporters in an attempt to provoke clashes, poor police, and a lack of contingency plans.
The sudden change in venue from St. Petersburg (due to the war in Ukraine) to Paris was another noted factor, besides issues such as ticket sales, a dual system that led to confusion and problems with fake tickets and trying to force people to enter without tickets are criticisms left in the penultimate chapter of the document, although the issue of counterfeit (or non-existent) tickets is not definitive as to their importance in disrupting the event.
Critics abound at various points, including the postponement of the start of the match, due to clashes and the “chaos” that led to access to the stands, but the “confused” way in which this happened does not escape, as well as the lack of communication of this measure outside the stadium .
Examples include the Saint-Denis Convention, created by the Council of Europe to change the safety paradigm at sporting events towards a comprehensive approach that puts violence aside, and UEFA’s “common commitment”. and competent local authorities that are not respected.
The Committee leaves a total of 21 sound recommendations to UEFA and the authorities after it became clear in relation to the incidents at the Stade de France that “what happened in the Champions final was largely the result of poor planning, lack of control, poor compatibility between different “stakeholders” and lack of contingencies.”
“We agree in this regard with the conclusions of the French Senate. However, as the organizer of the event, we believe that ultimately it is UEFA that is responsible for the failure of these various “stakeholders” to meet their common obligations to uphold the Saint-Denis Convention.
As such, the police model for the finale was “incoherent and inappropriate for purpose”, with an approach “too securitized, with unilateral police action” and “ill-conceived notions of threats to public order”, poor cooperation, and overuse of tear gas and other dispersive materials.
Transparency, best practices for cooperation, oversight and oversight, and self-monitoring by the competent authorities form part of the list of recommendations to the governing body of European football, while others relating to the response to security and public order are left to the discretion. police and municipality of Paris.
The previous report has already pointed to organizational and police disruptions in the match, the biggest poster game in European club football and one of the biggest sporting events in the world, reminding the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are close.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.