Aleksander Ceferin apologises to Liverpool and Real Madrid fans for Champions League final issues
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has apologised to Liverpool and Real Madrid fans for the policing issues at the 2021/22 Champions League final.
The final in Paris in 2022 was marred by chaos around the Stade de France on the day of the game, with fans being tear gassed by police and forced into dangerous crushes of people as they tried to enter the stadium with valid tickets.
Despite French authorities' attempts to blame fans for what occurred on the day of the final, a UEFA commissioned report into what happened concluded that there was an "absence of overall control or oversight of safety and security" and that aggressive policing methods were "inappropriately based on incorrect assumptions that Liverpool FC supporters posed significant threats to public order."
The report also praised Liverpool supporters for helping avoid what could have been a catastrophic incident prior to the final, hailing their behaviour on the day as "instrumental in protecting vulnerable people and averting what might well have been more serious injuries and deaths."
This year's final was marred somewhat by issues for fans as well, with a number of supporters being forced to queue for hours for UEFA-arranged shuttle buses to and from the stadium in Istanbul.
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Speaking at the opening day of the European Footballs Fans Congress, Ceferin spoke about both finals.
"We would love to erase events that happened last year from our memories. Last year everyone welcomed our decision to move the finals from St. Petersburg to Paris and in the end we all know what happened. Good intentions are many times not enough and we know that and we are sorry for that," he said.
"We are well aware that in Istanbul not everything was perfect. I am certainly not playing down the problems encountered by some. But let us continue working together to improve what can we improve.
"I'm thinking in particular transport links to and from stadium, the hosting of the stadium supporters and access to water and toilets for everyone."