Liverpool President Tom Werner has written a letter to French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera “out of disbelief” following a “series of unproven statements” related to the Champions League final.
The gruesome and dangerous scenes outside the Stade de France saw Liverpool fans with tear gas by the police and the mismanagement of the highest order put the fans in the direct line of danger.
UEFA and the French authorities immediately blamed the Reds for their latest attempt at cover-ups. Blatant lies at every step.
It has since been announced that an independent and thorough review of the facts will be made to establish the facts.
And following a “fault-playing strategy” by Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, the club’s president, Tom Werner, wrote a stern letter to the French minister “out of total disbelief” to apologize.
Here is the full letter, published by James Pearce of Athletic:
Dear Minister,
I am writing to you today without believing that a French government minister, a position of enormous responsibility and influence, can make a series of unproven statements on a matter of such importance before a proper, formal and independent investigation process has been completed. do. place taken.
The events that took place at the Stade de France and around Saturday night in the UEFA Champions League final were not only incredibly dangerous for all in attendance, but also raised serious questions about the organization. and the operation of the event. This should be the focus of all stakeholders today rather than following a game of guilt strategy through a press conference.
I have received countless emails from Liverpool fans who were dying of fear and harassment from police, pepper spray and tear gas. Also, the situation was no better at the end of the evening than at the beginning, with many fans stolen, and attacked by gangs.
It was obvious that the fans were forced to go through a glove, spending more than 2 hours in line. One person said they were “trapped against the doors, no one was moving and no one on the other side of the doors was communicating at all.” These fans were treated like cattle.
How can we lose data and unverified claims presented this morning almost done without truly independent and transparent investigation with the right stakeholders, including our fans, our club and others? Worse, these statements undermine the search for truth and transparency that should underpin the motivations of any organization or individual with the desire to ensure that such unacceptable scenes are never repeated.
The fact that your public position goes against this goal is a concern in itself. Doing so without any recourse to ourselves or our followers is even greater. All voices should count in this process, and they should count equally and fairly.
As a Club, it was our strong feeling that any investigation should be impartial, independent and transparent. This view has only intensified as a direct result of your public comments and the impact they have had on a narrative that is contrary to the experiences of many. Your comments were irresponsible, unprofessional, and utterly disrespectful to the thousands of physically and emotionally harmed fans.
The UEFA Champions League final is set to be one of the best shows in the world, and it has become one of the worst security breaches in recent memory. On behalf of all the fans who have experienced this nightmare, I apologize and guarantee that the French authorities and UEFA will allow an independent and transparent investigation to take place.
Hello,
Tom Werner
President