Champions league

A closer look at the key battles between Bayern Munich and PSG ahead of their titanic round of 16 Champions League clash.

Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi had the last laugh in Doha with two goals and a helping hand in the other, before converting in the shootout. Bayern figure to have the advantage in midfield with Germany internationals Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka patrolling the central areas and the impressive Jamal Musiala in a more advanced role. The France star, the joint-leading scorer in this season's Champions League with seven goals, will miss the first leg with a thigh injury and there are concerns over Lionel Messi too after the Argentine hurt his hamstring during Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Marseille in the French Cup.

Uefa bears 'primary responsibility' for organisational and safety failures that made it 'remarkable' no Liverpool or Real Madrid fans died at the 2022 final ...

The panel is also troubled by a number of stark differences as to the facts of what happened, and a general default position of blaming the Liverpool supporters, without any proper evidential basis.” In a statement, the organisation did not say that it accepted the panel’s findings, saying it was “currently analysing” them “and assessing them against its own analysis of the organisation of the event and facts that occurred around it”. Uefa’s events arm “marginalised” the safety and security unit, and did not follow its own safety requirements, “a recipe for the failures” that occurred. The report also states the panel was “very disappointed” that Uefa asked that sections of an interview given by an unnamed senior Uefa executive, relating to evidence they gave to the French Senate, be redacted on the grounds of maintaining their anonymity. The risk of a crushing disaster was highest at that point, the panel found, as large numbers of supporters came on to the forecourt and found static queues. The second claim, that thousands of Liverpool fans were at the stadium without valid tickets, originated with the French police and ministers, and was given to the media by Uefa at the end of the match. The checkpoint increasingly failed to cope with the huge numbers of people crammed into the queue, and was abandoned at 7.45pm, the report states. [Liverpool](https://www.theguardian.com/football/liverpool) and thousands of their supporters, and in media reports, including the Guardian’s investigation. “The dangerous conditions on the concourse outside the turnstiles were compounded by the police deploying teargas at disorderly groups of locals, as well as using pepper spray on supporters trying to gain entrance with valid tickets,” the report states. Although a decision to delay kick-off should be taken by the acting police commander in liaison with Uefa’s safety and security unit and that of the local football association running the game, the report states, Ceferin himself made the decision, in a stairwell of the stadium’s VIP area, where he had been having a meeting with the king of Spain. The report states that there is no evidence to support such claims, which were made in a “reprehensible” attempt by the authorities to avoid responsibility. [Uefa](https://www.theguardian.com/football/uefa) review expresses concern that lessons have not been learned, saying with reference to the evidence of Michel Cadot, the French government official responsible for major sporting events: “Despite Mr Cadot’s willingness to accept that mistakes had been made [at the final], the panel is concerned that there remains a misconception about what actually happened and a complacency regarding what needs to change.

Champions League final on May 28 2022 between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France was overshadowed by serious problems for supporters outside; ...

Their incompetence and negligence could have led to a far more serious situation had it not been for the restraint of the Liverpool supporters who know all about the history of what happened at Hillsborough in 1989. The real number of counterfeit Liverpool tickets turned out to be 1,600 - which is no more than usually expected for a game of that size. "It is now obvious that three months was not enough time to organise a Champions League final. Dr Rodrigues said last year in a UEFA statement: "The events of 28 May were distressing for everyone involved. The FFF didn't respond to messages for comment through email and its media website on Monday. "And they should apologise and thank Liverpool supporters for the way they behaved." UEFA as event owner has been assigned "primary responsibility" but it's understood some commission members disagreed with the conclusion. "Although the French police were out in force before the game, they were nowhere to be seen when supporters were being mugged and attacked as they were leaving the game. "The truth is that the real blame lies with UEFA, the French authorities and the French police. "A Champions League final should be a celebration of football but in Paris it turned into a nightmare for tens of thousands of supporters because of failures on the part of the people who were supposed to be looking after them. "What happened on 28 May 2022 was the fault of UEFA, the French authorities and the French police. "It's been over eight months of work by the independent panel and it is only right and proper to publish the contents of the report to our supporters appropriately.

The French star was expected to miss three weeks after suffering a thigh injury but has been named in the squad for the round of 16 first leg.

Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann said on Monday he understood Paris Saint-Germain's danger ahead of Tuesday's clash, despite the French champions' ...

"The Champions League is important for the club and important for me," Nagelsmann said, adding "I want to win the trophy before I can only walk bent over." Nagelsmann said he understood the gravity of the tie, explaining "of course a season will be seen differently if you come far in the Champions League than if you exit early." "We don't have much focus on the situation PSG has in the league -- the Champions League is another competition.

UEFA has apologised to Liverpool for initially blaming the Merseyside club's fans for the chaos that unfolded before last year's Champions League final ...

He added: "In particular, I would like to apologise to the supporters of Liverpool FC for the experiences many of them had when attending the game and for the messages released prior to and during the game which had the effect of unjustly blaming them for the situation leading to the delayed kick-off." Register for free to Reuters and know the full story LIVERPOOL, England, Feb 13 (Reuters) - A review into the chaos before the 2022 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid has said organisers UEFA were responsible for the events which unfolded including a "large number of near misses that nearly led to disaster".

UEFA-appointed investigators have held European soccer's ruling body mostly responsible for chaotic security failures at the Champions League final in Paris ...

“Institutional defensiveness, putting reputation and self-interest above truth and responsibility, prevents progressive change,” the report said. The Champions League final was moved to Paris at three months’ notice after UEFA stripped Russia of hosting the game in St. Many fans were fired on with tear gas by police before the game, which was delayed by nearly 40 minutes. “On the evidence, the panel has concluded that the senior management of UEFA Events marginalized the UEFA S&S Unit,” the report said. “UEFA’s lack of oversight upon delegation of private safety and security matters, deference of all such matters in the public space to policing authorities, and simply not following its own safety, security and service requirements, was a recipe for the failures which occurred,” the report said. An apology to Liverpool supporters for “the experiences of many of them” and the unjust blaming was made Monday by UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis.

Neymar is concerned by leaks from the Paris Saint-Germain dressing room and says they must "walk together" ahead of a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich ...

The goalkeepers in contention are Alisson Becker, Thibaut Courtois and Emiliano Martinez. Last year, four forwards were named in the final XI; Ronaldo, Haaland, Lewandowski and Messi. The Portuguese star has made the Team of the Year, along with Messi, every year since 2007, but will face stiff competition among the forwards alongside Erling Haaland, Mbappe, Neymar, Robert Lewandowski and reigning Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema.

Neymar is concerned by leaks from the Paris Saint-Germain dressing room and says they must "walk together" ahead of a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich ...

The goalkeepers in contention are Alisson Becker, Thibaut Courtois and Emiliano Martinez. Last year, four forwards were named in the final XI; Ronaldo, Haaland, Lewandowski and Messi. The Portuguese star has made the Team of the Year, along with Messi, every year since 2007, but will face stiff competition among the forwards alongside Erling Haaland, Mbappe, Neymar, Robert Lewandowski and reigning Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema.

Uefa bears "primary responsibility" for the chaotic scenes before last year's Champions League final, an independent review has found.

Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, says the findings "vindicated" the Liverpool fans who had said Uefa and the French authorities were responsible for the events. "The organisation before, during and after the game - and the heavy-handed treatment of fans - was predicated on flawed intelligence and the inaccurate preconceptions and prejudices of the authorities." "It's disappointing and insensitive to release a report of this magnitude without first releasing to supporters who were there," a spokesman told the BBC. "For the experiences many of them had when attending the game and for the messages released prior to and during the game, which had the effect of unjustly blaming them for the situation leading to the delayed kick-off." "Fans who travelled to Paris expecting the night of their lives were put in harm's way by the very people who are meant to protect them," Rotheram, who was at the match, said. "In particular, I would like to apologise to the supporters of Liverpool," Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis said. Following the publication of the review into the Paris scenes, Uefa apologised "most sincerely" for the events which unfolded. "The similarities include the fact both events were preventable and both were caused by the failures of those responsible for public safety. It also said the collective action of Liverpool supporters was "probably instrumental" in preventing "more serious injuries and deaths" outside the stadium. The accusations made by Uefa and French authorities about ticketless Liverpool fans in Paris were criticised by the Rodrigues-led report. The European governing body said a "comprehensive review" would examine a number of factors that include the decision-making, responsibility and behaviour of all parties involved in the final. The report says there is "no evidence" to support the "reprehensible" claims.

UEFA itself bears "primary responsibility" for failures which "almost led to disaster" at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris between Liverpool and ...

"It's been over eight months of work by the independent panel and it is only right and proper to publish the contents of the report to our supporters appropriately," a Liverpool statement said. "The safety, security and service model laid out in the Saint-Denis Convention was ignored in favour of a securitised approach," the report said. "In particular, I would like to apologise to the supporters of The panel also said it was astonished that the policing model was influenced by a view of Liverpool hooliganism based on Hillsborough. The report also claimed the policing model was influenced by a view of UEFA itself bears "primary responsibility" for failures which "almost led to disaster" at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris between Liverpool and Real Madrid, a report commissioned by the European football body said Monday.