Uefa settles civil claim with Liverpool fans over 2022 Champions League final

.An independent report published last year found Uefa bore “primary responsibility” for the failures which almost led to European club football’s biggest occasion becoming a “mass fatality catastrophe”.

Serious congestion problems outside the Stade de France in Paris saw thousands of Liverpool fans penned in against perimeter fences and stuck in a motorway underpass before the game against Real Madrid, with kick-off on the night delayed by more than 30 minutes.Those same supporters, who had already been targeted by local youths trying to steal tickets, were then tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed by police.“Uefa has already taken a number of steps following the 2022 final, including implementing recommendations from the independent review and establishing a special refund scheme,” Uefa’s statement on Friday said.“Today, it has gone further by ensuring that Liverpool fans represented by Pogust Goodhead and Bingham Long receive a sum by way of compensation in relation to the difficulties and challenges that they were confronted with.“The parties have agreed the terms of this statement but that the terms of the settlement will otherwise remain confidential. The settlement agreement has been made without any admission of liability. Uefa is pleased to have reached a common position which it is hoped provides closure for the fans. Uefa will be making no further comment.”A Liverpool fan who was part of the Pogust Goodhead and Binghams claim, Matt Douglas, said in an article previously published by the firms: “We left for the game with plenty of time ahead of us. We went to enter the ground at around 3:30pm and noticed most of the gates were closed.“When fans shouted and tried to communicate with stewards, we were mostly ignored. People kept being let into the gate, and it became worrying… a large volume of people with nowhere to go. Things were getting tense, there were kids around us crying, and I was seriously worried for my safety.

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