UEFA 'bears responsibility' for Champions League failures, according to French Senate report
UEFA bears "primary responsibility for failures" which almost led to May's chaotic Champions League final becoming a "mass fatality catastrophe", according to an independent report into the scenes which has been leaked ahead of publication. Serious congestion problems outside the Stade de France in Paris saw thousands of Liverpool fans penned in against perimeter fences and stuck in a motorway underpass ahead of the game against Real Madrid. Those same supporters, who had already been targeted by local youths trying to steal tickets, were then tear-gassed by police trying to alleviate further problems after a decision was made to close turnstile gates but that only compounded the issue. UEFA commissioned a team led by Portuguese Dr Tiago Brandao Rodrigues to look into events and, after publication was delayed from the end of November, the report is understood to be set to be published on Tuesday. However, reported claims from a leaked version make damning reading for European football's governing body and the French authorities - while completely exonerating the behaviour of Liverpool fans for whom UEFA's blame for arriving late and delaying kick-off was "manifestly inaccurate" and French officials claimed had thousands of forged tickets. "The panel has concluded that UEFA, as event owner, bears primary responsibility for failures which almost led to disaster," claim reports. "The dangerous conditions on the concourse outside the turnstiles were compounded by the police deploying teargas at disorderly groups of locals, as well as using pepper spray on supporters trying to gain entrance with valid tickets.
