Following a decision in their favor, a group of Liverpool supporters have celebrated a major legal victory against UEFA.  The European Football Association made an unsuccessful attempt to get a lawsuit brought by hundreds of fans about the mayhem during the May 2022 Champions League final dismissed.

 In July 2024, UEFA submitted a petition to stop the proceedings in the UK, which was considered by a Liverpool court.  British courts, according to UEFA, have no jurisdiction over the case.  As a result of the controversy surrounding the game, about 800 fans have been able to continue their pursuit of monetary recompense.

“This is a landmark legal decision for Liverpool supporters in their fight for justice against UEFA,” said Jill Paterson, one of the lawyers for the fan organization.  They will now be held accountable by UEFA in English courts.  It should be safe for all football fans to attend games.

Another group of Liverpool supporters and UEFA achieved a settlement last year, but the British courts were unable to resolve this most recent group.

The fans’ allegations are supported by an independent assessment that found UEFA was not responsible for the attendance’ safety.  The organization is blamed in the dossier for a “high number of near-accidents that nearly led to disaster” before the pivotal match between Real Madrid and Liverpool, which the Spanish team won 1-0.

 Before kickoff, the final, which took place in late May 2022, was characterized by a great deal of chaos.  The match was delayed by thirty minutes as a result of the chaos that broke out around the Stade de France on the outskirts of Paris as ticketed spectators fought to enter the stadium.

Excessive behavior by both fans and police was also reported.  While security guards were seen deploying tear gas on the throng, supporters were able to scale barricades and storm the stadium.  Police were accused of violent and excessive treatment by Liverpool supporters, who were disproportionately impacted by the stadium’s entry issues.