40 years Heysel Stadium disaster: Darkest day in Belgian football history commemorated
The Heysel Stadium disaster, the biggest tragedy in Belgian football history, has been commemorated on Thursday. Exactly 40 years ago, 39 people died and 600 others were injured in the crowd in the stands of the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, now known as the King Baudouin Stadium.
"The final of the century.” That's how people talked in 1985 about the European Cup final between title holder Liverpool and Italian powerhouse Juventus, the two best European teams of that moment.
On 29 May 1985, about 60,000 people were expected at the Heysel Stadium, which was already very outdated for an important event such as the European Cup final. What should have been a football celebration turned into a tragedy. Just before the start of the match, violent riots broke out between supporters when Liverpool fans stormed the neutral section filled with Juventus supporters. A total of 39 people lost their lives, mostly Italians, and more than 600 supporters were injured.
The Heysel Stadium was completely renovated in the 1990s and renamed the King Baudouin Stadium. In 1995, an international match was played there again for the first time after the tragedy. Today, the stadium is still used for matches of Belgium's national football team, the finals of the Belgian Cup and the Memorial Van Damme athletics event. Opposite the stadium is a memorial to the victims of the Heysel Stadium disaster and the names of the 39 people who died are displayed on the wall of the main stand.
A commemorative event for the victims was held in the stadium on Thursday in the presence of amongst others the mayor of the city of Brussels Philippe Close and the ambassadors of Italy and Great Britain. The names of the 39 victims were read aloud by Gianluca Pessotto, a former Juventus player who now has a managerial role at the club, before a minute's silence was observed.
Gianluca Pessotto during a commemoration of the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / Commemoration of the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster in Brussels © BELGA VIDEO JEROME FETU
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