The safety plans of every organisation responsible for staging next year’s Champions League final at Wembley must be “tested to destruction”, Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt has said.
There is immense pressure on the FA and UEFA for the event to be a success after problems arose at the last two finals.
The 2022 match in Paris almost became a “mass fatality catastrophe” according to an independent report commissioned by UEFA. Liverpool fans found themselves penned against stadium perimeter fences ahead of the match against Real Madrid due to organisational failings, and were then tear-gassed by French police.
While the problems around this year’s final in Istanbul were less severe, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin admitted last week that “not everything was perfect”, with supporters reporting problems getting to and from the Ataturk Stadium and in accessing drinking water and toilets.
Ceferin assured delegates at the European Football Fans Congress in Manchester that the 2024 final would be “a unique experience” for supporters.
That appeared to ratchet up the pressure on Wembley, a venue which itself hosted a chaotic Euro 2020 final two summers ago.
An independent review by Baroness Casey identified more than 20 near-miss incidents that could have resulted in serious injury or death at the match between England and Italy on July 11 2021, as ticketless individuals stormed turnstiles to force entry.
FA chair Hewitt insisted there was “healthy paranoia” among organisers around what could go wrong at every Wembley event, and pledged everyone involved would aim to work out the pitfalls and how to respond to them.
“It isn’t the regular stuff that goes wrong,” Hewitt said.
“It is the stuff that hasn’t happened. In that particular tournament (Euro 2020), it was the first time we had 30,000 empty seats (due to Covid-19 capacity restrictions).
“It’s really easy for me standing here and saying ‘well, that was obvious, that was the thing that was different’. You have to search for the thing that is different. You don’t make the same mistakes, you make different ones. So what is the thing that is different?
“Secondly, it is about making sure every one of the stakeholders completely and utterly understands, and tests to destruction, the plan.
“It is no good the police doing their bit in one room and the stewards doing their bit in another and us doing our bit in that room and UEFA doing theirs in that room. It is getting everyone in the same room and testing each other’s plans to destruction.
“I believe in a process called pre-mortem, not post-mortem. I use it a lot in business, what could go wrong and how do we deal with it? It’s a bit like pretend crisis management in a way but it is much more deep than that.
“There is pressure on every event we host at Wembley. We have got paranoia, healthy paranoia I would say, but we are paranoid. Yes, there is pressure but there is pressure on everything we do.
“You write about (the pressure) because of the fact there have been two finals where things have gone wrong. But every time we host something at Wembley – (a) Tyson Fury (fight), Harry Styles, Coldplay, no matter what, where you have groups of people together, something that can go wrong will go wrong, and it is times so many multiples because it is the national stadium.
“We are paranoid about it and we try to test to destruction. I am sure we will make some mistakes that have yet to be made in other stadiums, but it won’t be because we didn’t try and test. That is important to us. It is very important we learn the lessons from Paris and Istanbul.”
Asked if she was confident there would be no repeat of the storming of the turnstiles at Euro 2020, Hewitt said: “You can never be confident with something like that can you? It would be very over-confident for me to say that. Because anything can happen.
“It is one of the biggest events in Europe and anything can happen. You just have to be confident you have thought through what you would do if something did happen. Rather than say ‘I am confident that will never happen’, the question is ‘what if it did? What would you do?’ That kind of testing is crucial.”
By the time Wembley hosts the Champions League final on June 1 next year, the FA will also know whether or not the stadium will host the Euro 2028 final.
The UK and Ireland is bidding to host that tournament in competition with Turkey, with a decision due to be taken by UEFA’s executive committee on October 10 this year.
Hewitt is expecting tough questions given the chaos of July 2021 and knows it is important to have the answers.
“We are on our feet in October convincing people why we should win,” she said.
“One of the things I am absolutely convinced UEFA’s Exco will ask us is ’how can you assure us nobody will storm the turnstiles?’.
“Being well rehearsed – and not just having the answers but having worked through what is the answer – that is an important part of the bid. We have to convince every one of those Exco members we have not only thought about it but that we have planned for it – that we know what we would do in what order and who is accountable, and that is why they should vote for us.”
Leiva: Liverpool can challenge for Premier League title
Former Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva believes the Reds have the quality to challenge for the Premier League next season.
Liverpool were part of a three-horse race for top spot for the majority of last season, along with Manchester City and Arsenal.
However, a run of poor results in April saw them drop out of contention, eventually finishing nine points behind Pep Guardiola's side in Jurgen Klopp's final season in charge.
Arne Slot has stepped into the German's shoes, having been picked for a similar style of tactics to his predecessor, and questions have been asked whether Liverpool can pick up where they left off under a new manager.
And Leiva, who played for the Reds for 10 years between 2007 and 2017, has backed them to do just that.
"I think Liverpool can challenge against [Manchester] City, against Arsenal," Leiva told Stats Perform.
"Last year, like I said, Liverpool missed out in the last four weeks of the season. Of course, it will be difficult.
"Man City and Arsenal and other teams are getting stronger, and we know how difficult it is to beat Man City. But Liverpool showed last year the quality to challenge with a lot of young players coming through, and it was very positive.
"I don't see why Liverpool could not challenge Man City this year for the Premier League. I think the team is very good, and of course, other players will arrive to help."
Despite the optimism surrounding Liverpool's new manager, there are concerns over whether key players will still be at Anfield come the end of the season.
Mohamed Salah is entering the final year of his contract and has attracted interest from a number of Saudi Pro League clubs.
The Egyptian has scored 211 goals since joining the Reds in 2017, though his Premier League tally of 18 goals was his least prolific season for them, and Leiva thinks he may have a point to prove under the new manager.
"Mo, what a player he has been for the club," Leiva said. "We know that he came under Jurgen, but I think Mo has got a point to prove as well now.
"He will be a very important player, not only on the pitch, but off it as well. On the pitch, he's been amazing, and he's scored a lot of goals. He has been one of the best [players] in the history of the club.
"But with a new manager coming in now, I think he will need the senior players to help the other guys to settle in, even the new manager to settle in. So, Mo will be really important as well off the pitch. And I'm sure that he has many, many good years ahead of him in the Liverpool shirt."
Another Liverpool stalwart entering the final year of his contract is captain Virgil van Dijk, who has been a talismanic presence since joining from Southampton in 2018.
Only four players have made more appearances than his 197 since making the move to Anfield, and Leiva is confident he will not be leaving any time soon.
"I expect Virgil to stay. He's under contract," he added.
"He's the captain of the team. He had a great Euro, and the same as Mo, he will be really important.
"[Arne] is a Dutch manager, so he will play a big part in helping this new team, this new Liverpool team, going forward. Now he's on holiday, and hopefully, he will come back recharged and ready to go."
Trent Alexander-Arnold rounds out the trio with their future up in the air going into the new season.
The right-back, who started in the Liverpool academy in 2004 aged six, has been integral to Liverpool in recent seasons.
He was involved in the most attacking sequences among Liverpool defenders in the league last season (151), and Leiva is adamant the club should make it a priority to keep the home-grown talent.
"I've known Trent since he was 16 years old. He started when I was playing for the club, and at that young age we could see how good he was," Leiva said.
"He's a Liverpool player born in Liverpool. He is what Liverpool means.
"I think it's really important to keep your best players, and Trent is one of them. Like I said, he's a Scouser, and I'm sure that he'll be focusing on helping the team.
"He's a vice-captain of the team. He's grown so much in the last few seasons, and like all the senior players, I think these players now will play a big part in the new team. Helping the young lads coming through, as well as the academy.
"So, of course, with contract talks, you always have speculation, but I think you know it's really important for Trent to stay at the club because it's his home and I know how much it means to him to play for Liverpool."
Alvarez to make call on Man City future after Olympics
Manchester City attacker Julian Alvarez will not make a decision on his future before Argentina's Olympics campaign is over.
Alvarez has been a useful member of Pep Guardiola's squad over the past two seasons.
However, with Erling Haaland the clear first-choice striker, Alvarez has often had to deputise in an attacking midfield role, particularly as cover for Kevin De Bruyne.
The 24-year-old, who is representing Argentina at the Paris Olympics after he helped his country win the Copa America earlier this summer, is reportedly drawing interest from Atletico Madrid, but he has not yet made a decision on whether he wishes to leave City.
"There is a lot of talk," said Alvarez ahead of Argentina’s clash with Ukraine.
"I am focused here [at the Olympics] because it is a short tournament. At Manchester City I feel very good, I played a lot of minutes.
"But we will see after the Games. First, if I can, I will take a few days off. Then we will decide.
"Maybe it's annoying to be out in big games, players always want to help on the pitch. But my season was good, so I'm very happy."
Alvarez featured in 54 games in all competitions for City last season, more than any other player, though 15 of those were substitute appearances.
He scored 19 goals, outperforming his 17.5 expected goals (xG) while also contributing 13 assists, a tally bettered only by Kevin De Bruyne (17), with just Phil Foden (107) creating more chances than Alvarez (98).
Guardiola is eager to keep Alvarez on board, though conceded there is only so much he can do to keep the player happy.
"I don't think about replacing [him]," Guardiola said.
"I know he wants to play in important moments, but the other players [want that] too.
"We have 18 or 19 players who want to play in the important games.
"I read he has to think about it, so OK, think about it and after that he will inform us what he wants to do."
Klopp's 'unique' style would suit England, says Leiva
Lucas Leiva believes Jurgen Klopp's "unique" coaching style would be a perfect fit if he were to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager.
Southgate stepped down as Three Lions boss after eight years following their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final earlier this month.
The 53-year-old led England to their first-ever Euros final in 2021 before reaching the showpiece match on foreign soil at a major tournament for the first time in their history.
However, he also became the first manager to lose two consecutive finals in the competition.
During his tenure, he was often accused of being overly cautious at times, despite the team scoring 213 goals during his 102 matches in charge.
Klopp, who ended his nine-year stay at Anfield in May, is one of the names being linked with the vacant job, and former Liverpool midfielder Leiva believes the German would be a success in the role.
"I think his coaching style can adapt to any club, to any national team, because Jurgen, the way he manages, is unique," Leiva told Stats Perform.
"I don't know if he will accept that, because maybe he's having a rest, having a break. But, as a Brazilian, if he gets the English national team, I'll be very worried because I know how he works.
"Of course, with a national team you always have less time to work with the team, and the way he plays, it needs time.
"But, if he gets the English national team, of course I'll be supporting him because he's a fantastic guy, a fantastic manager. And I think his style can be a success."
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