BRUSSELS — 1985 · Major Tragedy
The Heysel Stadium Disaster
Before the Liverpool-Juventus European Cup final at Brussels' Heysel Stadium on 29 May 1985, Liverpool supporters charged into a neutral section, and Juventus fans trying to escape were crushed against a crumbling wall, which collapsed. Thirty-nine people died, most of them Italian, and around 600 were injured. The stadium's poor condition and security and policing failures also contributed. The match was nevertheless played. English clubs were banned from European competition for five years, and in 1989 a Belgian court convicted 14 Liverpool supporters of manslaughter. The stadium was rebuilt and reopened in 1995 as the King Baudouin Stadium.
- Date
- 1985
- Place
- Heysel, Belgium, Brussels, BE
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 50.8950, 4.3340 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 29 May 1985A wall collapsed in the pre-match crush; 39 died.
- June 1985English clubs were banned from European competition.
- 1989Fourteen supporters were convicted of manslaughter in Brussels.
- 1995The stadium reopened as the King Baudouin Stadium.
Sources
- The Brussels Times — The Heysel stadium disaster, 40 years on brusselstimes.com ↗
- AP via NY1 — Heysel remembered: a look at the 1985 stadium disaster ny1.com ↗
- Britannica — Heysel Stadium disaster britannica.com ↗
- The Brussels Times
- AP / NY1
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.