One of the most terrible disasters in world football occurred 40 years ago. In Brussels, in the final for the European Cup between Juventus Turin and Liverpool, 39 people died.
No, there is not much left of football that day. Instead, 39 dead, almost 500 injuries and wounds that have not healed even after 40 years. The final of May 29, 1985 for the European Cup of the national champions, the forerunner of the Champions League, remains combined with other pictures. Panic, struggle for naked survival, people, crushed and suffocated.
Football is still played, the memories of it are rather shadowy. There are penalty, Siegtor Platini, player of Juventus Turin with the Henkelpott – all grotesque minor matter. A scandal that was kicked off at all. Only the UEFA knows the facts from the opaque but fatal chaos in the run -up to the game, is afraid of further escalations. She lets the opponents of the final compete, but the players in the ignorance of what really happened.
Block Z becomes a death trap
Far too few security personnel have been offered, a flowering ticket black market was completely left out of sight. In addition to the Liverpool fans, including many hooligans, there should actually be a neutral block, but now there are mostly fans of Juventus Turin there, in block Z. black and white juve flags and juve scarves where the English eye looks. Too much for some “supporters” of the Reds.
Hooligans begin to storm over the fence into the block, more and more follow, the Italian fans panicked in panic, a boundary wall that collapses under the pressure will be the death of 39 of them.
The Juve players experience all of this first at the banquet, and then: dead silence. “The trophy, our childhood dream and on the other hand 39 dead who only wanted to see a football game – we felt terrible”reports defender Sergio Brio from the night, who should actually shine from the gloss of the Henkelpotts.
From day one, Juventus consistently reminds of the victims, makes the memory visible. Now on the 40th anniversary with a new large monument near the Juve-Arena. The families of the relatives are merging, the number “39” becomes a symbol-in the 39th minute of every Juve game: silence.
Silence at Liverpool FC
FC Liverpool is also silent – too long as many find. Ten years after the disaster there is a documentation of the BBC, in which at least one of a total of 14 convicted hooligans publicly regrets. Not more. Liverpool hides the tragedy on an unadorned commemorative plaque on the back of the stadium on the Anfield Road.
“It is strange, even if we meet ex-players on a beer, nobody talks about Heysel, absolutely nobody”reports Mark Lawenson, defender of the successful early 80s era of the Liverpool stars. Interview inquiries with Heysel players on this topic are still rejected by the association. In 2005 then at least a joint appearance with Juventus Turin. Champions League quarter-finals, the club has to do something.
LFC legend and Heysel player Ian Rush shows up on the kick-off circle together with Michel Platini, in the hands the slogan for the first leg on the Anfield Road: “Memory and Friendship.” But most Juve fans do not want to know anything about friendship-they turn their back on the big “amicizia” choreography in the main grandstand.
The correct handling of Heysel
“But I don’t judge them. If you want to solve the conflict at the level of organized fans, you need Kofi Annan”says Peter Hooton, eyewitness in almost every Liverpool game for more than 40 years, including Heysel.
As a member of the influential LFC fan union “Spirit of Shankly”, he has put a long pressure on the club to list the victims of Heysel in Liverpool, as well as those of the 97 Liverpool fans of the Hillsbourog tragedy. Finally with success. On the 40th anniversary, it is now called “Forever Bound” on a new plaque with all the names of the dead. A place for this is still being sought – the correct handling of Heysel will always remain difficult.