Uefa will reimburse Liverpool fans who purchased tickets for the 2022 Champions League final in Paris, according to an independent report that found Uefa is “primarily responsible” for the chaotic events that occurred before the game against Real Madrid.
The report revealed that fans were penned in and sprayed with tear gas outside the Stade de France, and kick-off was delayed by 36 minutes.
The refund scheme will cover all 19,618 tickets allocated to Liverpool FC for the final. Uefa’s general secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, said that the refund scheme was comprehensive and fair and took into account numerous views expressed by supporters.
The Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association and Spirit of Shankly, two Liverpool FC supporter organizations, provided valuable input during the process.
The refund will be administered by Liverpool FC as supporters purchased tickets from them directly.
Initially, Uefa and French authorities blamed ticketless fans for the events outside the stadium, but the report found no evidence to support these claims.
The report made 21 recommendations to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future. Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, welcomed the exoneration of the club’s supporters and said it was “super important” that they had been cleared of any wrongdoing.
The Liverpool fans’ lawyers will continue to push forward with their claim against Uefa for appropriate compensation relating to the events in Paris.
The Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association and Spirit of Shankly welcomed the unprecedented refund but emphasized the need for Uefa to implement all the recommendations made by the independent inquiry.
Details of how and when refunds will be processed will be published by Liverpool FC in conjunction with the two supporters’ organizations.