UEFA president regrets problems at Champions League finals in Paris and Istanbul

MANCHESTER: UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin admitted on Thursday that there were problems with this year’s Champions League final after fans were caught up in gridlocked traffic around the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.

There were reports that some supporters had to get out of buses and walk for miles ahead of Manchester City’s 1-0 win against Inter Milan in European club soccer’s biggest game on June 10, with problems after the final as well.

“We are well aware that in Istanbul not everything was perfect. And I am certainly not playing down the problems encountered by some,” Ceferin said during a speech at the European Football Fans’ Congress in Manchester.

But the head of European soccer’s ruling body said UEFA is working to improve the treatment of supporters.

“I’m thinking in particular transport links to and from the stadium, the hosting of the stadium supporters and access to water and toilets for everyone,” he said. “I can assure you that next year’s Champions League final at Wembley and Euro 2024 in Germany will be a unique experience for fans.

“On the whole this year’s finals in Budapest, Prague, Eindhoven and indeed Helsinki went well.”

Ceferin also apologized to soccer fans after the chaotic security failures that caused a near-disaster at the Champions League final in Paris last year.

“We would love to erase events that happened last year from our memories,” he said. “Last year everyone welcomed our decision to move the finals from St. Petersburg to Paris and in the end we all know what happened. Good intentions are many times not enough and we know that and we are sorry for that.”

Investigators held UEFA mostly responsible for the failed security operation at the 2022 Champions League final