Zeljko Pavlica, the head of security for UEFA, has been called out by the Spirit of Shankly group of Liverpool fans.
In response to new charges of “completely untrue” information being offered to a commission probing the nearly fatal events during the 2022 Champions League final in Paris, a group of Liverpool supporters has demanded for the resignation of UEFA’s chief of security.
On May 28, the highlight match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France was marred by the ruthless treatment of the crowd, which included the deployment of batons and tear gas by the police.
After reviewing the events in Saint-Denis in February, a panel of experts came to the conclusion that UEFA, the body that governs European football, bore “primary responsibility” for the safety and security lapses that prevented hundreds of fans from entering the venue despite having valid tickets.
However, the findings seemingly pointed the finger at the events division led by UEFA’s former operations director, Sharon Burkhalter-Lau, rather than the safety and security unit – claiming that the latter team had been “marginalised”.
However, earlier this week, The Guardian reported that Burkhalter-Lau had written to senior UEFA officials, including General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis, to dispute these assertions and accuse the organization of providing the panel with “completely untrue” material.
According to The Guardian, Burkhalter-Lau tried to refocus attention on Zeljko Pavlica, the head of security for UEFA. Spirit of Shankly have urged the Slovenian to step down as security chief in light of the Guardian’s story.
The supporters’ group declared in a statement on Monday night: “That Pavlica – as head of security – has remained in his post since Paris is staggering, but in light of these latest revelations underpinned by his lack of individual responsibility and accountability he surely has to go. If he doesn’t then [UEFA president Aleksander] Ceferin’s position is also untenable.”