Expert fumes at ‘useless’ and biased officials after Rangers apology issued
Uefa had a duty of care for Rangers fans at the Europa League final last Wednesday (18 May) and failed them badly.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
Rangers’ historic Europa League campaign led to the final at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium in Seville, where they ultimately lost 5-4 on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Many travelling fans complained of a shortage of drinking water and overzealous stewarding at the 43,000-seater stadium.
As relayed by the BBC last Saturday (21 May), Uefa has apologised for the mishandling of the situation.
Dinnery slammed the “useless” officials responsible for organising the event and accused them of prejudice against British fans.
“It’s a duty of care thing,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“Uefa have issued an apology for how the situation was mismanaged. Unfortunately, supporters from Britain, their reputation precedes them.
“When you listen to stories from Rangers fans about how they were handled and dealt with, that is a sign that the police or the stewards have preconceived expectations.
“There are numerous examples of fans lying on the ground and asking for water. There were question marks with regards to the suitability of the stadium long before the final took place.
“The pumps in the internal water system weren’t able to handle the demand, and that’s why they went off. Demand for bottled water was three times what they thought.
“The whole thing makes you ask who makes these decisions and why they are made? It’s just another example of how useless they are.”
In other news, Rangers already have Connor Goldson “replacement” in place as “meltdown” verdict issued by Alex McLeish.