The European soccer governing body UEFA informed Parisians who attended the 2017 Champions League final on Tuesday that they would receive a refund. An independent report found that Liverpool fans were to blame for the chaos outside the stadium, prompting this announcement.
Due to the inability of thousands of Liverpool fans to enter the Stade de France, the May 28 match, which Real Madrid won 1-0, was postponed by 36 minutes.
The French police were shown using nerve gas on fans, including children and women. Even though the club’s fans were initially to blame for the chaos, UEFA later apologized following the publication of an independent review.
In a statement, UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis said, “We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately, and we believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair.”
“During this time, the Spirit of Shankly (SOS) and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association (LDSA) have had a conversation that is open and honest.”
The following statement was made by the team: As part of this strategy, we will issue refunds to ticket holders who were most affected by the stadium’s accessibility issues. We are aware of the terrible incidents that occurred that day involving those supporters.
Customers who purchased tickets for gates A, B, C, X, Y, or Z—locations where “the most difficult circumstances were reported”—will be eligible for a refund, as stated in the UEFA announcement. 19,618 final-day tickets were distributed to Liverpool fans.
The two fan groups SOS and LDSA issued a joint statement in which they expressed satisfaction with the declaration but cautioned that it does not excuse UEFA.
“UEFA have gone a good way for acknowledging their role in the disaster by guaranteeing to repay allies,” reads their statement.
“But it does not excuse UEFA, shield them from criticism, or make it any less necessary for them to implement all of the recommendations made by the independent inquiry,” the statement reads.
The tickets cost anywhere from 62 pounds ($74) to 610 pounds ($733) in total.
The following statement was added to the list by UEFA: In addition, all fans whose information was provided by the entrance control and who did not enter the arena prior to the scheduled start time of 21:00 Central European Time. “All fans who were unable to enter the arena will be eligible for a discount,” the association stated.
“UEFA has requested that the club implement refunds to ensure the protection of personal data and for the ease of process,” stated the initial ticket sales process, in which Liverpool fans purchased tickets from Liverpool FC rather than directly from UEFA.
According to the organization, Genuine Madrid and non-partisan allies who meet the discount requirements will be contacted by UEFA’s customer service.