UEFA Champions League Final 2022 Independent Review

Dear Dr Rodrigues,

We are writing to you in your position as Chair of UEFA’s Independent Review.

It is 18 days since the final panel and list of experts were announced, and just on seven weeks since you were appointed to your position, yet neither you or UEFA have made contact with Spirit of Shankly (Liverpool Supporters Union and official Supporters Trust of LFC) or the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association that represents Liverpool Supporters with disabilities.

This is despite your stated Terms of Reference:

“The Review will engage with UEFA and all relevant stakeholders, including, but not limited to, fan groups including Football Supporters Europe as well as those of the two finalist clubs.”

We had hoped that the publication of the French Senate report “An Inevitable Fiasco” released on Wednesday 13 July 2022, which exonerated Liverpool fans may have prompted you to contact us. It hasn’t.

The lack of engagement with fans as key stakeholders serves only to undermine further any confidence in the veracity of your independent review.

We understand you have been engaging with Football Supporters Europe, but the glaring gap in engagement with supporters of those clubs directly involved in what happened in Paris is unacceptable.

The stated timeline for your preliminary findings is the end of September 2022, with the final report to be delivered and published by November 2022. Yet we have not had the courtesy of contact to outline what will happen, when it will happen and who will be involved.

In your media statement announcing your appointment, you said: “The events of 28 May were distressing for everyone involved.”

The lack of engagement with fans thus far does nothing to ease that distress.

We also remain concerned about recent revelations regarding many undeclared links, past working arrangements and relationships, all of which offers little or no confidence in trust and independence.

We urge you to make contact with supporters – the key stakeholders -as a matter of urgency to restore faith in your review.

Yours sincerely

Joe Blott, Spirit of Shankly

Ted Morris, Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association