The Portuguese politician who chaired Uefa’s investigation into the pandemonium at the Champions League final was criticized by fans for introducing a contentious fan identification card intended to combat hooliganism. His department’s legal explanation for the scheme contained an allusion to the Hillsborough tragedy, which supporters criticized as “in poor taste.”
The record of Tiago Brando Rodrigues, who as Portugal’s minister of education was responsible for introducing the “carto do adepto” last season, a mandatory “fan card” vehemently opposed by supporters, has raised further questions about his suitability to lead an independent review that Uefa insists will be conducted.
The nomination of Kenny Scott, Uefa’s former head of safety and security, as Rodrigues’s assistant raises more concerns over the review’s independence. Scott, a highly regarded former Strathclyde police officer, has continued to serve for Uefa as a matchday security officer after his retirement, most recently on 9 June for the Nations League match between Sweden and Serbia. Uefa told that Steve Frosdick, another safety expert who quit in February, was “unsuitable” for the independent study because he had previously worked for Uefa.
In addition to the brutality of the Paris riot police, a major focus of the review will be Uefa’s planning and management of the final at the Stade de France on 28 May, including how Uefa came to blame Liverpool fans for the chaos in two statements issued on the night and why they have not been retracted.
Rodrigues’ fan card became a necessity for stadium sections that are often frequented by “ultra” supporters. The card was extensively boycotted, resulting in empty sections of stadiums, and was fought by Portugal’s national supporters’ group, the APDA, through a crowdfunded legal case. After a few months and a vote against it in the legislature, it was mainly canceled in November of 2012.
In its response to APDA’s legal action, the education ministry cited the Hillsborough disaster to justify the requirement of fan cards in specific stadium sections. “Such isolation of zones is appropriate and necessary for security reasons, to prevent the occurrence of incidents arising from overcrowding (see the Hillsborough tragedy of 1986, where overcrowding in one stand led to the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans)” was incorrectly stated in the ministry’s legal document.
Martha Gens, the chair of the APDA, stated at the time that it was in “poor taste” to use the Hillsborough tragedy, in which 97 Liverpool fans were killed due to police gross negligence, to justify “sanction and repression” of football fans. She said to the Guardian: “We felt it repugnant that the Portuguese education ministry, which oversees sports, would use this tragedy as legal justification for a restrictive policy. They demonstrated a lack of awareness of pertinent concerns by introducing a policy based on discrimination and the creation of ghettos within stadiums.
“When Uefa appointed Rodrigues as chair of the review, I couldn’t understand how he was seen to have the experience, independence, or understanding of fans to take on such a position, especially as it nearly resulted in another disaster perpetrated on Liverpool fans.”
Uefa launched the inquiry and selected Rodrigues without consultation two days after the final, in which thousands of Liverpool and Real Madrid fans were kept in static lines for hours, teargassed by French riot police, and attacked by local thugs. Uefa openly blamed the “late arrival of spectators” while postponing kickoff, then published a statement after the game saying the mayhem was caused by thousands of Liverpool fans possessing counterfeit tickets. This has deeply offended supporters, who are fighting for a comprehensive, entirely independent probe.
Rodrigues had worked closely in Portugal, particularly on the implementation of the fan card, with Tiago Craveiro, the then-chief executive of the Portuguese Football Federation, who became Aleksandr Ceferin’s adviser in March of this year. In response to concerns made regarding Rodrigues’ independence and suitability, Uefa has stated that Rodrigues has the necessary competence, as he was the responsible minister when Portugal hosted the Champions League finals in 2020 and 2021, which were shifted due to Covid. The inaugural was played in a stadium with no spectators; the 2021 final between Chelsea and Manchester City will let 16,500 supporters watch.
Uefa announced on 1 July that Scott and Frank Paauw, the police head of Amsterdam, would be “key specialists” on a panel comprising Rodrigues, which was billed as an “independent committee.” Five additional experts and supporters’ representatives have been requested to “help the evaluation,” however it is unclear how the procedure will be implemented.
Scott stated that although he resigned from his full-time post at Uefa in March, he was retained on Uefa’s list of security personnel who are paid to work at individual matches. He worked at Hampden Park for three European Championship matches last year, including Scotland’s 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic, and for this year’s Sweden vs. Serbia match on 9 June.
Given his position, Scott stated that he was unable to comment on any aspect of the review or its independence.
In answer to inquiries about how Scott could be deemed impartial, Uefa noted that Liverpool and Real Madrid had suggested him. That is accurate, although a Liverpool source stated that Uefa did not inform the club that Scott continued to perform paid work for the organization.
The Liverpool supporters’ trust Spirit of Shankly (SOS) was also unaware of Scott’s continued employment with Uefa but had not recommended him for the review due to his previous long-term senior role at Uefa up until last year. Joe Blott, the chairman of SOS, stated, “Any maintained linkages with Uefa are a clear matter for concern and cast doubt on the inquiry’s impartiality.
