'You have to question their priorities' – Two senior UEFA officials attend Wembley the day after CL final incident
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Published 10/06/2022 at 14:03 GMT
The morning after the CL final, two of UEFA’s most senior representatives left Paris to attend the EFL Championship playoff in Wembley. While UEFA has defended the decision, saying that it was planned for weeks, Liverpool are questioning whether UEFA are taking the investigation of the events at the Stade de France seriously.
Liverpool's fans waiting to get in the Stade de France for the Champions League final
Image credit: Getty Images
Despite the prominent issues outside of the Stade de France before the Champions League final, two of UEFA’s senior executives left Paris to attend the EFL Championship playoff between Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield, a decision that the governing body defends.
The two, who travelled to London the morning after the final, are considered two of UEFA’s most senior executives: Theodore Theodoridis, UEFA’s general secretary, and his deputy, Giorgio Marchetti.
The decision has certainly raised some eyebrows given that the night before, thousands of supporters were forced to wait outside of closed gates, and tear gassed by French police.
Some fans were also victims of violence from local residents.
Kickoff was delayed for 36 minutes due to the incidents outside, and many fans were victims of attacks when leaving the stadium as well.
UEFA announced that an independent review into the incidents that happened at the Stade de France would be held, after requests from both Real Madrid and Liverpool.
Liverpool questioned UEFA’s ability to ensure the investigation would be credible, with the club bringing up the fact that Theodoridis and Marchetti were enjoying a football match in London.
UEFA has assured them that Theodoridis was fully present in proceedings via video calls from London.
The governing body also defended the general secretary's attendance, saying that he had decided to go to Wembley three weeks prior, as UEFA were organising the Finalissima between Argentina and Italy at Wembley.
“Prior to their departure to London, they held meetings with various persons from the top management of UEFA to discuss the events of the previous night and to start discussions on the next steps to take,” said a spokesperson on behalf of UEFA.
“Please note that it is very common for Mr Theodoridis to attend games while travelling, as it allows him to meet various stakeholders.”
“You have to question their priorities,” said Ian Byrne, the Liverpool MP.
“Thousands of supporters suffered terribly in Paris and we only narrowly avoided another catastrophic disaster with people losing their lives,” he continued, referring to the Hillsborough disaster.
“You would have thought UEFA’s top executives would have wanted to stay in Paris and really find out what went wrong, and wouldn’t go to Wembley the next day to watch an unconnected match. It makes me further question how much rigour went into establishing the review.”
This comes after news that the CCTV footage of the events outside of the stadium was automatically deleted a week after the final because the French justice system did not submit a request to seize the videotape.
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