NEARLY 20,000 Liverpool fans caught up in the Champions League Final chaos will have their ticket money refunded by Uefa.
Uefa bosses have accepted “primary responsibility” for a “near-catastrophe” before the game at the Stade de France.
And in an unprecedented move, European football chiefs announced they will refund ticket money to the 19,618 Liverpool fans who bought tickets through the club’s official allocation.
Thousands of Liverpool fans were kettled outside the ground after arriving on the Paris Metro system.
The security measures meant many Liverpool fans were outside for hours and failed to get in for the start of the game.
Riot police then used tear-gas, adding to the distress of fans, while some external gates were opened to allow mobs of locals to attack queueing supporters.
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Initial attempts to blame Liverpool fans for using fake tickets were destroyed by the factual evidence with Uefa’s report pinning the blame on the European governing body and French and stadium authorities.
The move, described as a “special refund scheme for fans who were most affected” by the shambolic and dangerous actions instigated by French police, will cost Uefa around £3m.
Uefa explained: “Refunds will be available to all fans with tickets for gates A, B, C, X, Y and Z, where the most difficult circumstances were reported.
“In addition, all fans who according to the access control data did not enter the stadium before 9pm (the originally scheduled kick-off time), or who were not able to enter the stadium at all, will be eligible for a refund.
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“Finally, Uefa will offer refunds to all fans who purchased accessibility tickets along with those of their accompanying persons.”
Liverpool have agreed to take charge of the reimbursement scheme with Uefa forwarding the total ticket value for the club to distribute according to the prices paid.
A separate scheme will also allow some Real Madrid supporters – many of whom were caught up in the tear-gassing and then attacked by marauding gangs of local thugs – to reclaim their entry price.
Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis said: “We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately and believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair.
“We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organisations Spirit of Shankly (SoS) and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association (LDSA) as well as the open and transparent dialogue throughout this period.
“We recognise 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.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
