40TH ANNIVERSARY OF HEYSEL STADIUM DISASTER – Italian Supporters remember the day in 1985 and the 39 victims who died
Officials, supporters and families of victims gathered on Thursday, May 29th, in Brussels to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Heysel Stadium disaster, where 39 people died in 1985.
The fans, mainly Italian Juventus supporters, were killed when a wall collapsed after Liverpool fans charged them before the European Cup final in Brussels in 1985. Over 600 people were injured, leading to a five-year ban on English clubs from European competitions.
“English supporters charged,” recalled Paolo Bruno, a 76-year-old Italian supporter who was there on the day.
“There were normal people with children. They were scared and killed each other while trying to escape.”
For Patricio Piras, another Italian supporter who was also there, it was a “sadness, incredible to describe.”
The newly retired long-time supporter of Juventus hopes it will “never happen again” and has kept his Heysel ticket ever since as “a reminder of how a day of happiness can turn, with a spark, into something horrible.”
During the ceremony, a policeman’s trumpet sounded just before a minute of silence. Local officials and Italian club Juventus laid a wreath at the memorial outside King Baudouin Stadium, joined by UK and Italian representatives.
Earlier, Italian supporters and victims’ families paid tribute to the victims with chants and flags bearing messages to honour them.
