What did UEFA report say about last year’s Champions League final mistakes?

Europe’s governing football body UEFA finished evaluating the incidents that occurred during the Champions League final last May in Paris, France, where Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 with a goal by Vinicius Jr. Before the game, organizers and French police had altercations with local fans who pushed their way in through the lines, sometimes jumping the fences and running away from security.

The issues erupted in fans with legitimate tickets for the game not being able to come into the game on time, and for some, they were not allowed in at all. Moreover, Spanish and English tourists who came for the match also recounted how, before the game, they were bullied by the locals, and some were even robbed of their tickets.

What does the UEFA report say about the incidents at the last Champions League game?

In a 220-page report, UEFA’s investigative body said, “It is remarkable that no one lost their life, mass fatality catastrophe.”

Moreover, the panel also remarked, “UEFA, as event owner, bears primary responsibility for failures which almost led to disaster.”

Longtime UEFA Events CEO Martin Kallen is mentioned multiple times in the report, notably as a representative at security planning sessions, where he received widespread criticism from the panel.

Why did UEFA apologize to Liverpool fans for what happened before the game?

An apology came from UEFA’s general secretary Theodore Theodoridis this Monday regarding the organization’s statements during the events that occurred that day, where they blamed Liverpool fans for coming late to the stadium and creating chaos.

In addition, investigators concluded that “collective actions of Liverpool supporters was probably instrumental in protecting vulnerable people and averting what might well have been more serious injuries and deaths.”

UEFA announced a “special refund scheme for fans.”