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40 Years After Heysel Stadium Disaster, Football Safety Standards Transformed

Commemorating 39 lives lost, this milestone highlights tightened regulations on stadium design and crowd control

Tragedia del estadio de Heysel.
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Overview

  • On May 29, 1985, violent clashes between Liverpool and Juventus fans triggered a crush against security fences that killed 39 spectators
  • UEFA controversially ordered the European Cup final to continue, with Juventus claiming a 1-0 victory on a disputed Michel Platini penalty
  • The disaster prompted the resignations of Brussels’s mayor and Belgian interior minister and led UEFA to ban English clubs from European competition for five years
  • In response, UEFA and FIFA mandated the removal of standing terraces and perimeter fences, imposed alcohol restrictions and introduced stadium risk ratings and CCTV
  • Heysel was renovated and renamed King Baudouin Stadium and has not hosted a European final since its reconstruction