Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
20h ago

40 Years On, Heysel Survivors Recall Trauma and Stadium Safety Advances

Their accounts underscore how the tragedy spurred UEFA to enforce assigned seating, compartmentalized sections and a unified security command across European venues

Image
Image
Des agents de sécurité séparent les groupes de supporters rivaux de Manchester United et de Lyon lors du match retour des quarts-de-finale de la Ligue Europa au stade de Old Trafford à Manchester le 17 avril 2025.
Des policiers et des secouristes devant les tribunes du stade du Heysel où un mouvement de foule a fait 39 morts et plus de 500 blessés lors de la finale de la Coupe des clubs champions à Bruxelles le 29 mai 1985.

Overview

  • On May 29, 2025, survivors and witnesses including Sergio Ninotti and former commissioner Roland Vanreusel gathered at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels to mark the 40th anniversary of the Heysel disaster.
  • Ninotti described his near-death asphyxiation under a collapsing wall, recounting the panic, permanent psychological scars and four decades of unspoken trauma.
  • Vanreusel recounted confronting corpses and cries of dying spectators, criticized the split security command between Brussels police and gendarmerie and defended playing on to avert further casualties.
  • The disaster prompted UEFA to abolish standing areas by 1990, mandate assigned seating and compartmentalized sections, and assign clubs primary responsibility for in-stadium security.
  • Although Heysel was rebuilt as King Baudouin Stadium to meet safety benchmarks, it now lacks modern amenities and Belgium’s plan for a new national arena remains stalled by political deadlock.