UЕFA to refund Liverpool fans with tickets for Champions League final

European governing soccer’s body UEFA will refund English club Liverpool fans who had tickets for the Champions League final against Spanish giants Real Madrid in Paris last year.

The move follows a recent independent report that found UEFA bears “primary responsibility” for the chaotic scenes before the game at the Stade de France.

Fans were penned in and sprayed with tear gas outside the stadium in the French capital as kick-off was delayed by more than half an hour.

The French authorities and UEFA initially blamed ticketless Liverpool supporters for the events outside the stadium.

However, the report, which Europe’s governing body commissioned after the 28 May final, said there was “no evidence” to support the “reprehensible” claims.

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,” UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis said.

“We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organizations 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.”

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Six-times European champions 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.

Spirit of Shankly and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters’ Association said they “welcomed” the “unprecedented” refund from UEFA.

UEFA to refund LFC ticket holders for the Champions League Final in Paris. @UEFAcom @LiverpoolDSA Link: https://t.co/4MGwhQwq8i pic.twitter.com/0G2K5n8vgM

— Spirit of Shankly (@spiritofshankly) March 7, 2023

“With a promise to reimburse supporters, UEFA have gone some way to acknowledging their part in the fiasco,” Liverpool’s official supporters union Spirit of Shankly said in 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’s German 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.