Liverpool fans have been assured by French police that there will be no repeat of the harrowing scenes from the 2022 Champions League final when the team returns to Paris on Wednesday night.
The Reds face Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of its Champions League last-16 on Wednesday night before the return leg at Anfield next week. Wednesday’s match is the first time Liverpool has been back in the French capital since the chaotic and dangerous events of the final at the Stade de France nearly three years ago.
Crushes, fans penned against perimeter fences by police, the needless use of teargas and Liverpool supporters being set upon by gangs overshadowed the final against Real Madrid in 2022 on a shameful night for UEFA. Kick-off had to be delayed by 30 minutes and UEFA initially blamed Liverpool supporters for the distressing scenes and claimed it was because ‘thousands of fans’ arrived late and many held fake tickets.
But an independent report published in 2023 concluded that Uefa bore ‘primary responsibility’ for the failings which could have resulted in a ‘mass fatality catastrophe’.
European football’s governing body agreed to a pay settlement in the aftermath of the horrific events as Liverpool fans who suffered injury and distress received compensation. But the Parisian police have assured fans travelling to Wednesday’s match that those scenes will not be repeated this time.
Speaking to The Athletic, Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance, Peter Scarfe said: “They [the police] acknowledged that the behaviour of Liverpool fans in recent years has been exemplary and that they regard this game as low risk.
“They explained that the two stadiums are very different and that it would be much safer this time in terms of the route for fans to take. The transfer links are also better. They were appalled by how it was policed last time.
(Image: Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
“There will be vans blocking side roads but not narrowing the actual route to the ground like we saw at the 2022 final. We received all the reassurances we were looking for over crowd control and what plans are in place for the Liverpool fans going over there.
The report adds that police also highlighted the game against PSG will be played in the Parc des Princes rather than the Stade de France, which is located in an entirely different part of the city.
