UEFA has a “relationship of convenience” with football supporters and European football’s governing body has to make significant improvements for matchgoing fans, according to the mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, speaking in the city on Thursday, admitted “not everything was perfect” at the Champions League final in Istanbul earlier this month where Manchester City and Inter Milan fans complained about a lack of toilets and water, in addition to transportation issues surrounding the Ataturk Stadium.
Burnham, addressing the same European Football Fans Congress, said it was time for the governing body to start treating fans with more respect.
“I see a lack of progress on the European front,” he said.
“I’ve been talking to Manchester City supporters since their experience in Istanbul and I can tell you about the frustration and anger they feel about the way they were treated on that night.
“It was appalling: left to their own devices having travelled miles to get to a stadium with no proper arrangements around it.
“What makes it even worse it comes just one year after a final where it was a miracle that we didn’t see a wider spread tragedy in Paris a year ago.
“This isn’t a one-off, there are serious issues for UEFA to address.
“It strikes me they have a relationship of convenience with the football supporters’ community in Europe.
“Where the voice of supporters is helpful to them – I’m thinking about the argument about the European Super League a couple of years ago – it was helpful for UEFA to point to the groundswell of opinion of football supporters.
“But when it comes to ordinary competitions, ordinary matches, is the welfare of supporters uppermost in their mind? Clearly not. There has been some acceptance that things have to improve.”
Burnham said, coming just 12 months after Liverpool fans were involved in serious congestion outside the Stade de France and some were tear-gassed by overzealous police, it was inexcusable UEFA had not learned important lessons.
“Supporters have gone from the north-west of England in recent times and have been exposed to genuine danger at the hands of UEFA by a lack of organisation, a lack of care, a lack of thought when they get to those destinations,” he added.
“UEFA or any governing body of football cannot continue to treat English football supporters in a way that they will turn up and put up with whatever and things will just carry on.
“They should have learned that after Paris, they should definitely learn it after Istanbul and we need to see a much stronger commitment from UEFA to the welfare of football supporters.”
Burnham also called for more work to be done to eradicate tragedy chanting.
“We must see an end to tragedy chanting in the English game and in football around the world,” he said.
“We respect each other as fellow football supporters, we stand with each other in moments of tragedy and we have to isolate those who, in my view, have nothing to do with the traditions of football, people who weaponise tragedy at football matches.”
