Report: UEFA Responsible For 2022 Champions League Final Chaos

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Image copyright: Getty Images [via The New York Times]

The Facts

  • The UEFA-appointed independent panel to review the chaos that marred last season's Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Paris has concluded that the European football confederation is primarily responsible for "failures which almost led to disaster."

  • The report released on Monday cited an absence of oversight of safety and security and that UEFA's failures were aggravated by missteps by Paris police and the French Football Federation during the match, which saw fans held up in overcrowded queues and tear-gassed.

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The Spin

Narrative A

The truth about what happened in Paris finally came out despite UEFA's efforts to cover its wrongdoing while blaming others – including unscrupulously reproducing the same lies that have haunted and libeled Liverpool fans since the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. Though it's true that host states are responsible for policing, UEFA must ensure that fans are protected.

Liverpool Echo

Narrative B

UEFA indeed has primary responsibility for failures that put the safety of fans at risk, but the role of law enforcement can't be overlooked. French police created an explosive atmosphere by adopting a belligerent method aimed at a nonexistent threat and have adopted a complacent attitude toward correcting their errors— this near-miss must serve as a wake-up call for the 2024 Paris Olympics organizers.

New York Times

Metaculus Prediction