Give fans more votes at Wembley Champions League final after chaos in Paris – MPs

Fans must have a greater say in the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley, lawmakers said, to avoid a repeat of the Paris chaos.

And Sports Minister Stuart Andrew promised to consider what fans can look forward to for the decisive event when it takes place in London on June 1 next year, given the gaps that afflicted Liverpool fans in the 2021/22 final.

A highly critical independent report has concluded that UEFA, European football’s governing body, bears “primary responsibility” for what nearly led to the “mass fatal disaster” in last May’s Paris final.

Liverpool fans found themselves trapped in front of the perimeter fence before the match against Real Madrid due to organizational failures and were subjected to a tear gas attack by French police.

Many of the supporters who attended the Stade de France were survivors, or relatives of victims, of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster in which 97 people died.

Labor MP Ian Byrne, a survivor of the 1989 tragedy who attended the Paris final, told Andrew: “I can impress you with how important it is for everyone who gets to the final – I hope Liverpool – to make sure the fans have a voice over how the game goes.” The final, and enough participation because they are the ones who go to the matches, and they are the ones with the experience.

“They were not heard enough. Our voices were not heard in Paris… Too often our voices are not heard.”

“So, it is very important that we have a commitment from the government to ensure that these supporters sit at the table of the organization and are heard regardless of who will be in this final.”

Andrew responded, “I don’t know if that’s going to happen or not, but I’m definitely going to make that personal commitment to make sure we look at this because he’s absolutely right that we have to make sure we hear the voices of the fans, so I’m going to make a move forward.”

Andrew has previously said Liverpool fans have been subjected to “terrible mismanagement” in Paris and praised their behaviour.

He also said that Culture Minister Lucy Fraser would meet French Sports Minister Amelie Audia-Castierra “in the coming weeks” to discuss the French government’s response to the independent review.

Andrew told MPs: “It is essential to learn lessons from this impending disaster and take steps to prevent it from happening again.

UEFA has acknowledged that it made a number of errors in handling the event and has apologized to the fans who attended.

“In consultation with The Football Association, my management is liaising with UEFA to understand how they intend to respond to the review and press for timely action in response to the specific recommendations made in the report.

“I welcome UEFA’s commitment to implementing these recommendations, its sharing with supporter groups last week and the further apology of its general secretary.

“It is essential that UEFA continues this dialogue with fan organizations and that an action plan is published as soon as possible.”

UEFA has already apologized to Liverpool fans after initially blaming them for creating havoc by arriving late and, in some cases, with fake tickets.

The independent report said these initial accusations were “manifestly inaccurate”.

Byrne said Liverpool fans refused to be beaten for the “lies and slander” that came “straight out of the Hillsborough playbook”.

He added, “We need the Football Association to provide leadership and show courage to ensure that our demands towards Paris are met in the halls of UEFA.”

Byrne urged the UK government to “maintain political pressure” on French President Emmanuel Macron and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin “to ensure a full apology and heed to the report’s recommendations”.

The DUP’s Jim Shannon (Strangford) MP said the EU should not be excused from “making peace” with the Liverpool fans, adding: “A simple apology, a simple apology, would not be accepted by either (Mr Byrne) fans or For me. “.

Labor MP Sir George Howarth (Knowsley) said: “UEFA and the French authorities now need to be held accountable for their failure to properly manage this event and for all the risks that have resulted from it.”