UEFA issues apology to Liverpool & Real Madrid fans over Champions League final treatment

UEFA have apologised to match-going fans for the treatment they endured prior to Saturday's Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France, with European football's governing body set to carry out an investigation.

Supporters were roughly dealt with by local authorities and tear gas was used to disperse crowds, with kick-off being delayed by 30 minutes due to these scenes.

Liverpool have long demanded an apology from French officials, who have unfairly insisted the blame laid solely with the fans, while Real Madrid released a statement on Friday condemning what happened in Paris.

And UEFA have now confirmed that they will conduct their own review into the events that unfolded on Saturday and have apologised to fans who were in attendance.

"UEFA wishes to sincerely apologise to all spectators who had to experience or witness frightening and distressing events in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France on 28 May 2022 in Paris, on a night which should have been a celebration of European club football. No football fan should be put in that situation, and it must not happen again," the statement read.

"To that end, immediately after the events, UEFA commissioned an Independent Review to identify shortcomings and responsibilities of all entities involved in the organisation of the final, and has today published the  for this review.

"The Independent Review, which will be led by Dr Tiago Brandão Rodrigues from Portugal, aims at understanding what happened in the build-up to the final, and determining what lessons should be learned to ensure there is no repeat of the actions and events of that day.

"The Review will seek to establish a full picture and timeline of what occurred during the day, both within the stadium and the surrounding areas, including examining spectator flows to the stadium via the various access points.

"It will also examine all relevant operational plans related to security, mobility, ticketing, as well as others at the discretion of the chairman of the Review, and will examine the planning and preparedness of the involved entities for the staging of the final, including at additional sites such as the Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF fan meeting points.

"The Independent Review aims to identify any issues or gaps in the implementation and running of operations and assess the roles and responsibilities of all the entities involved and the adequacy of their response to events, in order to make recommendations on best practices for the future for UEFA and the relevant stakeholders.

"The Review will engage with UEFA and all relevant stakeholders, including, but not limited to, fan groups including Football Supporters Europe as well as those of the two finalist clubs; the finalist clubs themselves; general spectators; the French Football Federation; the Police and other public national and local authorities, and the stadium operator.

"Further information on how relevant parties can submit their testimonies (via a dedicated email address or an online questionnaire) will be communicated shortly.

"The findings of the Review, conclusions, and recommendations will be set out in detail in the Report and will be those of Dr. Tiago Brandão Rodrigues and the experts who will support him. The Review will start immediately and should be concluded within the shortest possible time-frame needed to produce a comprehensive review of the events.

"Once completed, the Report will be published by UEFA on www.uefa.com in the interests of transparency."