(Reuters) – UEFA will reimburse FC Liverpool supporters who attended last year’s Champions League final at the Stade de France (Seine-Saint-Denis) and which was marred by incidents, the European football body announced on Tuesday.
The kick-off of the match, which opposed the English club to Real Madrid, ultimately winner, had to be postponed by 36 minutes, thousands of British fans having been unable to enter the sports arena.
The French authorities and the European authorities had accused the supporters of the British club of having a share of responsibility in the incidents. But an independent report published last month claimed there was no evidence to substantiate the accusations, prompting UEFA to issue an apology.
“We have taken into account a large number of views expressed publicly and privately and believe we have designed a comprehensive and fair system,” UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis said in a statement.
The body will reimburse all supporters with tickets for gates A, B, C, X, Y and Z, where “the most difficult circumstances have been reported”.
“In addition, all fans who, according to access control data, did not enter the stadium before 21:00 CET (the originally scheduled kick-off time) or who were unable to enter the stadium at all, will be eligible for a refund,” added UEFA.
(Reporting Rohith Nair in Bangalore; Blandine Hénault for the French version, editing by Kate Entringer)
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