After two years of restrictions and compromised European club competition finals due to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the UEFA Champions League Finals in 2020 and in 2021, expectations for the 2022 final match of one of the most – if not the most – prestigious football tournaments in the world were again very high worldwide.
Real Madrid CF and Liverpool FC are true legends of football, and the UEFA Champions League Final is much more than a football game.
It therefore came with no surprise that on 28 May 2022 many thousands of supporters of both clubs decided to travel to Paris to attend an eagerly awaited match and experience a true festival of football.
Unfortunately, the enthusiasm around the game rapidly turned into a real “near miss” which was harmful to a significant number of fans from both clubs.
This should never have happened at such an important sporting event, and it is unacceptable that it took place at the heart of the European continent. Since the first moments, as a football fan myself watching the game with friends in my hometown, I realised that what was happening should constitute a source of immense concern, profound reflection, intense analysis, and consequent action.
The 2022 UEFA Champions League Final will be remembered as a moment of suffering for many fans but should also be a reminder of a situation we certainly do not want to witness again in the future at any sporting event in Europe or anywhere in the world.
