Level Playing Field have written to UEFA to demand accountability for another Champions League Final which failed to accommodate disabled supporters.
Reports from disabled and non-disabled Manchester City fans attending the final have detailed hazardous and potentially life endangering conditions for disabled supporters’ arrival and departure from the Atatürk Olympic Stadium and rubble footpaths unsuitable and inaccessible for ambulant, blind and partially sighted supporters, as well as wheelchair users.
Last year, members of the media were placed in designated accessible spaces and this decision was repeated on Saturday. Many match day experiences were ruined by limited access and long queues for water, as well as an unacceptable level of consideration in the Fan Zone, which was exasperated by UEFA’s extreme recommended arrival time. Upon arrival at the stadium, there was a failure to provide audio descriptive commentary sets to some blind and partially sighted Manchester City fans.
These events came in the same week UEFA launched its FootbALL programme, which it claims: ‘will ensure an era of inclusive and equal opportunity in European football through close collaboration with all European football stakeholders to foster positive social change.’ This campaign is contradicted by actions which continue to exclude disabled fans.
Chair of Level Playing Field, Tony Taylor, said: “A year on from the dreadful events in Paris, not enough has been learned from the review we were promised. UEFA’s lack of respect for football supporters as a whole, is having a dramatically detrimental impact upon disabled fans.
“We demand to see accountability for the failures at another showpiece event and more insight from stadium appraisals. Accessibility and inclusion must be at the forefront when planning these major finals.
“The Champions League generates three billion Euros in revenue, which emphasises the resource available to solve these issues. Changes must be made now, and this cannot happen again in 12 months’ time.
“Next year’s final will be held at Wembley Stadium and will be scrutinised heavily, with an expectation that supporters will be treated with respect and accessibility will be a priority.”
The Letter to to UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis can be read in full here, and accounts of the event from some Manchester City fans are available to read here.
Level Playing Field supports disabled sports fans in England and Wales. Disabled supporters based outside of England and Wales can contact Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE), in relation to sporting events held outside of England and Wales.