Paris 2022: Complete exoneration of fans by Inquiry

The report published earlier this week by the Independent Panel into the near-disaster at the Champions League Final in Paris on 28 May 2022 is a complete exoneration of Liverpool fans from any blame for the terrifying situation that unfolded at Stade de France last May.

Rather, the blame is laid firmly at the feet of UEFA and the French authorities for shambolic organisation of the final. The panel finds that “overarching organisational failures” caused the problems and identifies eight key contributing factors to a near-disaster, including a “securitised approach” to the game adopted by French authorities, which compromised the safety of those in attendance and ultimately led to a situation where there was a very real danger of a fatal crush.

I have been working on behalf of fans in regard to the chaos in Paris since the day of the match; I spoke out widely in defence of fans from Paris and once I returned home in the immediate aftermath of the near-disaster. This week I have urged UEFA, French and UK Governments and the FA to act; I have called on UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin to consider his position and on UEFA to implement in full all 21 recommendations in the report.

I am urging our Government to intervene and back my calls and the FA to do the same. I have also submitted an Early Day Motion regards the complete exoneration of fans and applied for an Urgent Question in Parliament next week.

Below you can find a selection of interventions I have made this week on this issue since the Independent Panel Report was published.

Ian Byrne MP on Paris review findings:

Early Day Motion tabled: