UEFA has claimed from Liverpool fans that the hearing will go ahead

A request by European football’s governing body Uefa to postpone a court hearing involving claims by 887 Liverpool fans involved in the Paris 2022 Champions League final chaos has been rejected by a judge.

Fans were jailed and teargassed outside the Stade de France as kick-off was delayed 36 minutes.

Mr Justice Pepperall, at the High Court in Liverpool, said a hearing scheduled for June 27 and 28 would go ahead.

Lawyers for both the fans and the football authorities are set to discuss whether the matter should be settled in UK or French courts.

Uefa said earlier this year it had reached a “full and final settlement” with supporters represented by two other law firms, who had filed personal injury claims, before their claims went to court.

The hearing previously involved another group of hundreds of fans, represented by law firm Leigh Day, which first launched its joint action in April 2023.

An independent report published last year found that UEFA bears “primary responsibility” for failures that almost led to European club football’s biggest occasion in Paris in May 2022 becoming a “mass catastrophe”.

Serious congestion problems outside the stadium saw thousands of Liverpool fans blocked by perimeter fences and stuck in a motorway underpass ahead of the match against Real Madrid, with kick-off on the night delayed by 36 minutes .

The same supporters, who had already been targeted by local youths trying to steal tickets, were then tear gassed and pepper sprayed by the police.

Uefa argues that UK courts do not have jurisdiction to deal with the claims and wants more time for experts in French law, appointed by each side, to report back.

But Judge Pepperall ruled that the matter would be dealt with at the court hearing later this month.