House of Commons – Feb. 20, 2023

That this House welcomes the findings of the Independent Panel Inquiry into the near-disaster at the UEFA Champions League Final in Paris on 28 May 2022; notes, further to EDM 131 tabled by the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby, the total exoneration of Liverpool supporters by the panel from any blame for the chaos and horror at the Stade de France; notes the panel’s finding that overarching organisational failures caused the problems; supports the panel’s identification of eight key contributing factors including a securitised approach to the game by authorities which compromised the safety and security of those in attendance; notes that the panel draws parallels between Paris and Hillsborough; further notes the panel’s finding that UEFA and French authorities sought to deflect responsibility for this near-disaster away from themselves and onto blameless fans; demands a full public apology and retraction from UEFA and the French authorities for announcing on screens inside the stadium and to a global TV audience that the delay to kick-off was caused by the late arrival of fans at the stadium, when this was categorically untrue; further demands a full response from the FA in support of these findings; also demands full and transparent implementation by UEFA of the 22 key recommendations in this report; acknowledges the panel’s commitment to a fair and thorough inquiry and thanks them for hearing evidence from fans; and commends Spirit of Shankly supporters’ trust and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association for their substantial contribution to the panel inquiry.