A law firm representing 1,200 LFC fans injured at the Paris final in 2022 have confirmed it has defeated UEFA's application
News
Liverpool fans stuck outside the ground show their match tickets during the UEFA Champions League Final at the Stade de France. Pic: Adam Davy/PA Wire
Liverpool fans stuck outside the ground show their match tickets during the UEFA Champions League Final at the Stade de France. Pic: Adam Davy/PA Wire
(Image: PA)
A UEFA application to block the case of Liverpool fans being injured at the 2022 Champions League final has been dismissed. A High Court in Liverpool heard a UEFA application in July 2024 designed to prevent the case proceeding in England on the grounds the court does not have jurisdiction.
However, law firm Leigh Day, who are representing Liverpool fans who were injured at the Paris final, confirmed today that the High Court has ruled in favour of having the compensation claims heard in England. A spokesperson for Leigh Day said: "We are delighted to confirm we have been successful in defeating UEFA's application.
"This is a significant victory for our clients in their fight to hold UEFA to account. We have always maintained that our clients should have the right to pursue their claims for compensation in England and today, the High Court in Liverpool has confirmed this is the case.
"The application which UEFA brought involved lengthy and challenging legal arguments and we thank you for your collective support and patience whilst we responded to it. It is our hope that, with this decision, UEFA will finally take responsibility for the events in Paris almost three years ago and now engage in meaningful settlement discussion with us."
Leigh Day is representing around 1,200 fans who were at the final on May 28 2022. Ahead of the showdown with Real Madrid at the Stade de France, thousands of Liverpool supporters - including many children - faced frightening scenes as they tried to make their way into the Stade de France. Many have spoken about being injured and traumatised in crushing incidents outside the stadium. Others were targeted with pepper spray and teargas by French police. On the way out, many more Reds fans were robbed and beaten up by locals.
After initial denials and obfuscation from UEFA and the French authorities, an independent review found that the European footballing body was "primarily responsible" for the catastrophic organisational and safety failures that left Liverpool fans heading to the Paris final traumatised.
A number of fans, represented by Bingham Long and Pogust Goodhead, received compensation from UEFA following an out-of-court settlement. The firms confirmed that the European footballing body offered their clients compensation in respect of the difficulties and challenges they were confronted with at the game.
UEFA argued the claims could not be heard in the English court because of the Foreign Act of State Doctrine, which is generally understood to mean the English court cannot make decisions on the lawfulness of an act by a foreign state performed within its own territory.
UEFA argued that actions of the French police were acts of state and so the doctrine should apply. They also argued that it applied because the circumstances of the match involved decisions that were made at the highest level of the French government. The Honourable Mr Justice Turner, who presided over the application, dismissed UEFA's case.
UEFA now has 21 days to make a written appeal to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal. Leigh Day said: "We hope UEFA will not take this course of action, and we are ready to oppose any attempts to undermine this decision or the rights of our clients."