Lawyers of traumatised Liverpool fans say report blaming Uefa boosts case

Lawyers preparing imminent legal claims against Uefa on behalf of Liverpool supporters who suffered injury and trauma at last May’s Champions League final say the case has been strengthened by the damning findings of Uefa’s own review into the near-disaster.

More than 2,600 people caught up in the hours of chaos and safety failures at the Stade de France in Paris have signed up to sue football’s European confederation for compensation. The central finding of the review panel, which was chaired by a Portuguese MP, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, was that Uefa had “primary responsibility” for the safety failures that led to a near-“mass fatality catastrophe”. The panel’s report stated that Uefa had “marginalised” its own safety and security unit, and that people in senior leadership positions at the organisation had known about this but failed to address it.

A “special refund scheme for fans”, mentioned by Uefa with no explanation in its immediate response to the report’s publication, will be insufficient to compensate people for their loss if it is merely returning the cost of tickets, the lawyers said.

Clare Campbell and Jill Paterson, partners at Leigh Day solicitors, who are representing more than 600 people, said: “The findings of the Rodrigues review confirm our initial instincts and what fans have been telling us about the appalling events at the Stade de France.We will now press ahead with a group action on behalf of the fans that we represent.”

They plan to notify Uefa of a legal claim “without delay”, they said, and are “looking to commence the legal process as soon as possible”.

Of the “refund scheme”, they said: “It’s important to understand that what is required here is more than just a ticket refund. It’s about