UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has accepted not everything was perfect for fans after criticism about the Champions League final in Istanbul.
There were reports of fans having to walk extended distances along busy roads, queue for hours for transport to and from the stadium and being left without water as Manchester City beat Inter Milan on 10 June. UEFA previously apologized after Liverpool fans were penned in and teargassed before last year’s final in Paris.
European football’s governing body had not previously addressed the issues experienced by supporters in Istanbul. However, at the opening of the four-day European Football Fans Congress in Manchester, Ceferin accepted problems had arisen in Turkey that needed to be addressed.
Football Supporters Europe is collecting fan accounts from Istanbul to present a report to UEFA. Ceferin said UEFA’s other major finals in the men’s and women’s games had passed without significant issues.
UEFA’s own review concluded European football’s governing body bore primary responsibility and it was remarkable it had not led to loss of life.
Chidozie Chima | August 16, 2024
