MANCHESTER: UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin admitted on Thursday that there were problems with this year’s Champions League final after fans were caught up in gridlocked traffic around the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.

There were reports that some supporters had to get out of buses and walk for miles ahead of Manchester City’s 1-0 win against Inter Milan in European club soccer’s biggest game on June 10, with problems after the final as well.

“We are well aware that in Istanbul not everything was perfect. And I am certainly not playing down the problems encountered by some,” Ceferin said during a speech at the European Football Fans’ Congress in Manchester.

But the head of European soccer’s ruling body said UEFA is working to improve the treatment of supporters.

“I’m thinking in particular transport links to and from the stadium, the hosting of the stadium supporters and access to water and toilets for everyone,” he said. “I can assure you that next year’s Champions League final at Wembley and Euro 2024 in Germany will be a unique experience for fans.

“On the whole this year’s finals in Budapest, Prague, Eindhoven and indeed Helsinki went well.”

Ceferin also apologized to soccer fans after the chaotic security failures that caused a near-disaster at the Champions League final in Paris last year.

“We would love to erase events that happened last year from our memories,” he said. “Last year everyone welcomed our decision to move the finals from St. Petersburg to Paris and in the end we all know what happened. Good intentions are many times not enough and we know that and we are sorry for that.”

Investigators held UEFA mostly responsible for the failed security operation at the 2022 Champions League final that put the lives of Liverpool and Real Madrid fans at risk.

Tens of thousands of fans were held in increasingly crushed queues for hours before the game at the 75,000-capacity Stade de France. Many fans were fired on with tear gas by police.

STOP THE RACISTS

Soccer continues to face a fight to rid itself of racism, with Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior suffering sickening abuse in recent months.

Ceferin called on fans to help drive out the culprits.

“Will you help us rid the game of people who hide in the crowd in order to pour out messages of hate because of a player’s skin color or sexual orientation?” he said. “We must shout, call out and rid ourselves of these idiots, who discredit both football and you the fans.

“Let’s work together to put our house in order and ban from our stadiums who comes not for love of football like you, but for the hatred for others.”

Ceferin also condemned abuse aimed at officials, such as referee Anthony Taylor, who was targeted after the Europa League final.

“I will never accept the kind of threats and intimidation and violence that some people are subjected to as we saw just recently,” he said.

Saudi Arabia entered the quarterfinals of the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup in fine form after a 3-0 win over China on Thursday made it a perfect group stage with a maximum nine points collected. 

A first-half goal from Mohammed Al-Muwallad sent the team on their way, and the points were sealed after the break, thanks to Nawaf Al-Bishri and Amar Al-Yuhaybi, on a comfortable evening in Chonburi, Thailand, for the Group C winners.

Now thoughts turn to Monday’s quarterfinal. The opponents remain to be confirmed, but there is the added prize on offer for the team that progresses to the last four: a place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup later this year.

Unsurprisingly, with a spot in the last eight already secured following wins over Australia and Tajikistan, coach Abdel Wahab Al-Harbi rested some of the young stars who had impressed in the opening two games. Al-Bishri and Nawaf Al-Jadaani got on the scoresheet in the opener and were benched, as was Talal Hajji, who scored both against the central Asian team on Monday.

Even without such talent, Saudi Arabia rarely looked troubled. Despite an early effort from the boys in red that flew just over, the young Green Falcons took control in the first half. 

Al-Muwallad almost opened the scoring with what would surely have been the goal of the tournament on the half-hour. China cleared a free-kick twice, but the forward stood with his back to goal on the edge of the area, chested the ball down and then let fly with a beautiful overhead kick that hit the bar. He struck the Thai turf in frustration in the knowledge that mere millimeters had prevented a truly special goal.

The deadlock was broken on the stroke of half-time. Bder Al-Bishy beat his man on the right side, got to the byline, then capped the display of old-fashioned wing wizardry by delivering the perfect cross.  Al-Muwallad was, for some reason, left alone in the six-yard box and nodded comfortably home. 

Al-Yuhaybi should perhaps have extended the lead just after the restart, but his shot from inside the area was too close to goalkeeper

Victory and the perfect group stage was sealed with 15 minutes remaining. Al-Bishri was freed from the left and burst into the area. When he cut inside Wu Qipeng, many expected that the forward would square the ball to Al-Jadaani, who had come on as a second-half substitute, but instead he fired home with a low shot.

In injury time, Al-Yuhaybi made it three, taking advantage of a mistake in defense to turn and shoot home from close range. That was that and it was a happy bunch of players who shook hands with their Chinese counterparts, who are now eliminated.

With nine points collected and no goals conceded in 270 minutes of football so far, Saudi Arabia will enter the last eight full of confidence, knowing that they are within touching distance of the World Cup.