UEFA apologises for scenes at Paris 2024 venue in run-up to Champions League final

UEFA has apologised for events at Paris 2024 venue the Stade de France in the run-up to the 2022 Champions League Final after an independent report concluded they were at fault for chaotic scenes outside the venue.

The Stade de France stepped in to replace Saint-Petersburg as the host for European football’s showpiece club match between Real Madrid and Liverpool.

The contest was overshadowed by images and videos of bottlenecks, crushes and the indiscriminate use of pepper spray on supporters.

The start of the match was delayed by more than 30 minutes, and fans were also victims of crime outside the ground, including robberies and assaults.

A report published by an independent panel determined that there were eight factors that caused or contributed to events in Paris.

The factors listed included a substantially large number of Liverpool fans being directed to arrive via the Stade de France Saint Denis station, defective route planning between train line RER D and the stadium resulting in too many people being directed towards the stadium by one entrance, ASP3, and defective access arrangements at the same entrance.

Other factors highlighted by the report included the use of two different forms of tickets, defective turnstile arrangements, the activities of large groups of locals and a failure to police them, the use of tear gas and pepper spray on the concourse and a lack of contingency plans relating to additional perimeter and turnstile access.