UEFA has announced a special refund scheme for fans who experienced the most difficult circumstances when accessing the Stade de France for 2022 Final on May 28th, 2022.
The decision came after an independent report criticized UEFA’s organizational failures that “almost led to disaster.”
The chaos surrounding the final match, which Real won 1-0, was marred by police issues and overcrowding.
UEFA initially tried to blame Liverpool fans for arriving late, but an independent report found that UEFA “bears primary responsibility for failures which almost led to disaster.” Liverpool fans’ group, Spirit of Shankly, later said that fans were left “fearing for their life” in a “maelstrom of chaos and alarm.”
BREAKING: UEFA are preparing to refund Liverpool supporters for their tickets to last year’s Champions League final in Paris. pic.twitter.com/3UpuqAEsUu
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 7, 2023
BREAKING: UEFA are preparing to refund Liverpool supporters for their tickets to last year’s Champions League final in Paris. pic.twitter.com/3UpuqAEsUu
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 7, 2023
Ticket Refund Coverage
The refund will be available to all fans who had tickets for gates A, B, C, X, Y, and Z. Additionally, anyone who did not enter the stadium before the originally scheduled kick-off time or was unable to enter the stadium at all will be eligible for a refund.
The special refund scheme covers all 19,618 tickets in the Liverpool FC ticket allocation for the Final. Since Liverpool fans purchased tickets from Liverpool FC and not directly from UEFA, the club will implement the refunds to ensure personal data protection and for ease of the process. UEFA will reimburse Liverpool FC the total value of these tickets, and the club will then process the refunds to its supporters.
Real Madrid CF fans and neutral supporters who purchased tickets directly from UEFA and meet the refund criteria will also be eligible for a refund. Refunds for Real Madrid CF fans will be processed based on the requests received from the ticket buyer via UEFA’s customer service.
Lawyers for hundreds of Liverpool fans said they would continue to pursue legal action against UEFA as compensation needs to reflect the injuries and trauma caused to fans on the day.
The French Senate inquiry found that poorly-executed security arrangements were the cause of the mayhem, and the images of the final tarnished France’s reputation for holding major sports events ahead of the Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games.
Statement on the Refund
UEFA’s General Secretary, Theodore Theodoridis, shared his thoughts on the special refund scheme, saying, “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.”
“We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organizations Spirit of Shankly (SoS) and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association (LDSA) as well as the open and transparent dialogue throughout this period. We recognize the negative experiences of those supporters on the day and with this scheme, we will refund fans who had bought tickets and who were the most affected by the difficulties in accessing the stadium.”
It’s refreshing to see UEFA taking responsibility and ensuring that fans are taken care of. With the special refund scheme, fans who faced the most challenging circumstances during the Final will be able to get their money back. Kudos to UEFA for stepping up and making things right!
