Heysel Wall Collapses: 39 Fans Dead Before European Cup Final
Thirty-nine football fans, mostly Italian Juventus supporters, died when a decrepit retaining wall collapsed at Brussels' Heysel Stadium after Liverpool fans charged through a fence separating the rival factions before the European Cup final. The match was controversially played despite the carnage, with Juventus winning 1-0 as bodies lay under blankets nearby. UEFA banned all English clubs from European competition for five years, and the disaster forced a continent-wide overhaul of stadium safety standards.
May 29, 1985
41 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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