Liverpool have called on UEFA to implement all 21 recommendations from an independent report into the chaotic scenes of last year’s Champions League final in Paris.
Tens of thousands of Liverpool supporters struggled to access the Stade de France for the final against Real Madrid on May 28, with some even tear-gassed by police.
The report, published on Monday evening, said UEFA bears “primary responsibility” for the failings and added “it is remarkable that no one lost their life”.
A total of 21 recommendations have been made by the panel to prevent such scenes happening again and Liverpool have called for “positive and transparent action” to take place.
Liverpool described how the shocking scenes in Paris had exacerbated the suffering of families, friends and survivors of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, prompting the club to offer mental health support to fans in the days after last year’s final.
“As a football club with proud history in Europe, we call on UEFA to do the right thing and implement the 21 recommendations to ensure the safety of all football supporters attending any future UEFA football match,” Liverpool said in a statement.
“Shocking false narratives were peddled in the immediate aftermath of that night in Paris; narratives that have since been totally disproven.
“It is shocking that more than 30 years after the Hillsborough disaster any club and our group of fans would be subject to such fundamental safety failings which have had such a devastating impact on so many.
“But even more concerning is the realisation that for families, friends and survivors of Hillsborough, Paris has only exacerbated their suffering.”
The trouble outside the Stade de France in May of last year was caused by failures in the ticketing process, planning and bottlenecks. Kick-off was delayed by 37 minutes, but fans were still outside the ground when the game kicked off.
The 21 recommendations are designed to ensure such scenes are not repeated. Among the recommendations are for UEFA to shift to solely digital ticketing, medical and first aid personnel always being visible and accessible, and the approach to events being “safety, security and service” rather than one based on preparing for disorder.
UEFA have also been recommended to publish an action plan on its website, with regular updates given to ensure full transparency. The governing body continues to analyse the findings of the panel and assess them against its own analysis.
