May 9 – Having accepted the Independent Review Panel’s findings after the disastrous 2022 Champions League Final in Paris – and apologised, profusely – UEFA has now gone granular with an action plan of measures to enhance safeguards for supporters at UEFA finals.
The message is clear, UEFA will not accept a repeat of the scenes at the Stade de France for the Real Madrid – Liverpool final and is baking in safeguards into the safety planning including extra commitments from potential hosts and local authorities at the bidding stage.
UEFA acknowledged that it will continue to have to rely on the local expertise and responsibilities of the local stadium operators and the host associations. But it nevertheless is reinforcing its requirements and expectations of them.
That includes alignment with the Council of Europe’s ‘Saint Denis Convention’ on integrated safety, security and service at football matches, which was signed during UEFA EURO 2016.
“Future UEFA bid documents will require every host of a UEFA final to commit to act according to the philosophy of the Convention, even when their country has not signed up to it,” said UEFA.
UEFA’s action plan has been created from the findings of the independent panel as well as an internal working group, the European governing body set up immediately after the 2022 Champions League Final. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has also been involved in the discussion.
The plan covers standard operating procedures, host bidding requirements and internal compliance mechanisms, “so that these events provide a safe, secure and welcoming environment for all, ensuring spectators are well-treated, including by making stadiums more accessible to children, older people and people with disabilities.”
UEFA emphasised the expanded role of FSE in involving fans in the planning and execution of finals.
FSE representatives are now involved in preparatory site visits to host venues, as well as monitoring and observing matches, surveying supporters and delivering detailed reports including instances of best practice and recommendations on areas of improvement in relation to supporter experience.
Other measures include dedicated UEFA supporter liaison officers and UEFA disability access officers appointed for each final as well as additional resources on-site to ensure “high-level, welcoming supporter services and that appropriate information and guidance are provided to fans, particularly across the ‘last kilometre’ routes.”
The number of UEFA safety and security officers covering the finals has been increased and UEFA will also use external expertise covering safety, security and intelligence. Where necessary, officers will be deployed in the host venue ahead of the final said UEFA.
UEFA said the two core objectives of the plan were making fans an integral part of the finals, and “ensuring alignment and collaboration between all stakeholders involved in the staging of these finals.”
Theodore Theodoridis, UEFA general secretary, said: “At UEFA, we are fully committed to ensuring that every football fan can enjoy their team’s appearance in a UEFA final in a safe, secure, and welcoming environment… By implementing the best practices outlined in our action plan and further engaging with fan groups, we are committed to ensuring that everyone can enjoy our events in a safe, inclusive and enjoyable atmosphere. We value their cooperation and will continue to work together to ensure that every supporter is heard, included and respected.”
For more detail on the action plan measures, click here.
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