Liverpool fans file legal claim against Uefa for Champions League final chaos
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Liverpool fans were unable to get in in time leading to the match between Liverpool and Real Madrid being delayed in May 2022.
PHOTO: AFP
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LIVERPOOL – Lawyers acting on behalf of Liverpool supporters caught up in the chaos at last season’s Champions League final
An independent review, commissioned by Uefa, concluded in February that European football’s governing body bore “primary responsibility” for what had been “a clear and immediate danger of a fatal crush”.
Kick-off of the final between Liverpool and Real Madrid was delayed by 37 minutes as fans struggled to access the stadium
Police then fired tear gas towards thousands of supporters locked behind metal fences on the perimeter of the stadium.
Uefa initially tried to pin the blame on Liverpool fans arriving late, despite thousands having been held for hours outside the stadium before kick-off.
Law firm Leigh Day told AFP they have lodged a group personal injury claim on behalf of 887 Reds fans at the Liverpool District Registry of the High Court.
The firm is claiming on the basis Uefa failed to ensure a safe and secure environment for those attending and could owe a legal liability to those who suffered physical and/or psychological injuries.
Over 2,000 fans have signed up for a separate class-action lawsuit against Uefa, seeking damages for physical and emotional trauma.
In another instance of unsavoury scenes at a match, Ajax Amsterdam’s Davy Klaassen suffered a head injury when he was hit by an object thrown from the stands.
It caused a lengthy delay, before his team edged out bitter rivals Feyenoord in Rotterdam on Wednesday to book a place in the Dutch Cup final.
After Klaassen put Ajax 2-1 up, a confrontation between rival players near the corner flag set off a commotion, during which the Netherlands midfielder was hit on the head, seemingly by a cigarette lighter.
The incident forced the game to be halted for 28 minutes and Klaassen had to be substituted after it resumed, gesturing that he was suffering from dizziness.
“I had a throbbing feeling around the wound and I also had trouble focusing, so I could have stayed on the pitch but that was not going to help me nor the team,” Klaassen told the Ajax website.
Police said a 32-year-man had been arrested and the incident was being investigated.
Dutch Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz said the incident would be investigated “at the highest level”.
She and Sports Minister Conny Helder will hold talks with the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB), clubs, municipalities and the police to find out what happened.
“If you continue like this, you will get a situation where even home supporters will be banned,” Yesilgoz told the ANP news agency.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino urged Dutch authorities to take action.
“Such events... have no place in our sport or in society. All players have to be safe and secure,” he said on his Instagram account.
The KNVB also condemned the incident. “Dutch football has sunk to a new low,” it said in a statement. AFP, REUTERS
