The day is 29th of May, 1985. The setting is the final of the European Cup; one that would place the winner as the best club in
The Merseysiders were the titleholders then, and with performances par excellence in previous years, they were the team to beat. The preceding year had seen the team face off with another Italian club, Roma, at the Stadio Olimpico that is located in the Italian capital.
It is to be noted that upon winning the game on penalties, The Red Army was attacked by supporters of the Wolves, and led to the stabbing and injury of many fans. It was later reported by the press that this was not a result of the defeat, but a premeditated aggression. This is partially regarded as the cause for the catastrophe. Therefore, when the men from Anfield reached the finals in the hope of defending their title against another Italian team, tensions obviously reached a fever pitch.
That apart, the authorities had a section for neutral fans, which was vehemently opposed by both clubs due to the fact that these tickets could easily be procured by fans of both clubs. This could pose as an extremely volatile mixture of fans, and was like an excuse for an incident waiting to happen. Italian fans that bought the tickets from the Belgians mostly filled this section.
Witnesses recall that missiles were thrown about an hour before the game was scheduled to begin. As the throwing intensified, the
Thirty nine people, mostly fans of Juve breathed their last on that fateful day that will forever be remembered as one of the darkest hours in the history of European football. Most of them were Italians.
The Old Lady went on to win the match by a lone goal, but that which had preceded the match eclipsed it. English football clubs were banned by UEFA from all the European competitions. It was eventually lifted in 1990/91, and the Reds were banned for another year.
Many people who witnessed this disaster have horrific accounts to relate, and it remains as one of the darkest days the football world has ever seen.
