Real Madrid REJECT UEFA’s ‘insufficient’ proposal to refund Champions League final tickets

Real Madrid have issued a damning statement rejecting UEFA’s plan to compensate fans with ticket refunds after last year’s chaotic Champions League final.

Last month, the governing body cleared the fans of blame and accepted its own responsibility for the disorder and horror that ruined last season’s final between Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Fans suffered greatly from a clear lack of organization at the Stade de France last year and French police subsequently tried to blame Liverpool fans who did not have tickets for the widespread disorder.

UEFA carried out its own investigation into the chaotic and dangerous scenes, which caused the match to be delayed by more than 40 minutes, and has since agreed to refund ticket holders.

On Thursday, Real Madrid issued a statement about its club website to insist that this offer of compensation was simply not good enough, considering the severity of UEFA’s incompetence.

The disorder outside the Stade de France delayed the kick-off between Real Madrid and Liverpool by more than 40 minutes and subsequently ruined the Champions League final for both sets of fans.

The Spanish club, led by president Florentino Pérez (above), urged that the ticket refund offer was “insufficient” given the severity of UEFA’s incompetence in failing to host the event.

A section of the lengthy statement read: “The report holds UEFA responsible for the arbitrary choice of venue and for the organization of the final itself, whose serious deficiencies endangered the safety and physical integrity of the fans who attended the match.” .

‘Many of them were victims of the theft of tickets and personal effects such as bags, telephones and wallets. And what is more serious, some of these fans suffered physical attacks that required medical attention and hospitalization.

“Given the forcefulness of the experts’ conclusions and the seriousness of the facts described, Real Madrid has been holding talks with UEFA to assess the compensation that would be offered to the fans.

“Our club trusted at all times that these solutions were commensurate with the seriousness of the facts, the extent of the damage caused and UEFA’s responsibility in all of this.

“Unfortunately, our club considers the UEFA proposal insufficient.”

Liverpool fans also stood in ‘long and slow’ hour-long queues outside the stadium

French police initially blamed Liverpool fans for the riot outside the stadium.

As a result, the Spanish club said it would help members and fans who suffered some kind of damage in the Paris final to bring the appropriate claims against UEFA for their personal and legitimate interests.

Madrid members and fans were promised details within days on how to take legal action against UEFA.

The dispute is the latest legal break between the Champions League winners and the organizers of the competition.

Both await a ruling from the European Court of Justice on a challenge to UEFA’s authority over international competitions brought by Madrid and other clubs that launched the failed Super League project in April 2021.