Fans are in line for refunds from UEFA after last year's Champions League final ©Getty Images

UEFA is set to implement a refund scheme for fans who were most affected when trying to access the Stade de France for the Champions League final last May.

An independent report was launched into events that took place prior to kick-off in the match between Liverpool and Real Madrid.

It found that supporters were caught in bottlenecks and crushes outside of the venue while being pepper sprayed by police.

Refunds will be available to all fans who had tickets for gates A, B, C, X, Y and Z where the worst circumstances were reported.

All fans who did not enter the stadium before 9pm on May 28 or who were not able to enter the stadium at all are also eligible for a refund.

Finally, UEFA will offer refunds to all who purchased accessibility tickets along with those of their accompanying persons.

This criteria covers all 19,618 tickets allocated to Liverpool supporters.

Where the Liverpool fans bought tickets directly from the club and not from UEFA, the continental body has requested that the club implements the refunds to ensure personal data protection and for ease of process.

The club has agreed to this, with UEFA promising to reimburse it with the total value of the tickets before the refunds are paid to supporters.

Theodore Theodoridis says the input of organisations such as Spirit of Shankly and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association influenced UEFA's decision ©Getty Images
Theodore Theodoridis says the input of organisations such as Spirit of Shankly and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association influenced UEFA's decision ©Getty Images

"We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately and we believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair," said UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis.

"We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organisations Spirit of Shankly and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association as well as the open and transparent dialogue throughout this period.

"We recognise the negative experiences of those supporters on the day and with this scheme we will refund fans who had bought tickets and who were the most affected by the difficulties in accessing the stadium."

Refunds to Real Madrid fans who meet the criteria will be processed based on requests received via UEFA's customer service platform.

The same applies to neutral supporters who bought tickets directly from UEFA and who are eligible for a refund.

The Stade de France is due to host athletics, rugby sevens and the Closing Ceremony during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

It is also set to stage 10 matches at the Rugby World Cup in France in September and October.