(Football news) England will be playing their next UEFA game behind closed doors with one more game suspended after crowd trouble both inside and outside the stadium during the Euro 2020 final. A number of ticketless fans fought stewards and police officers and made their way into the stadium, violating the permitted capacity of fans in the stadium and COVID-19 protocols.
UEFA’s disciplinary investigators have cited an ineffective security operation around Wembley Stadium for the final between hosts England and Italy as the reason for the crowd trouble. The FA will also face four charges relating to the behavior of the fans as violence erupted outside the stadium in what was England’s first major final since 1966. The ban will take effect in England’s UEFA Nations League match in June 2022 with a possible second ban – which is currently suspended for a probationary period of two years for the "lack of order and discipline inside and around the stadium”.
The FA have also been fined 100,000 euros (£84,560) for "the invasion of the field of play, for throwing of objects and for the disturbances during the national anthems". A statement by the FA read “Although we are disappointed with the verdict, we acknowledge the outcome. We condemn the terrible behaviour of the individuals who caused the disgraceful scenes in and around Wembley Stadium at the Euro 2020 final, and we deeply regret that some of them were able to enter the stadium.
"We are determined that this can never be repeated, so we have commissioned an independent review, led by Baroness Casey, to report on the circumstances involved. We continue to work with the relevant authorities in support of their efforts to take action against those responsible and hold them to account."
Due to COVID-19, only 60,000 tickets were handed out in a 90,000 capacity stadium which meant that ticketless fans were aware that they would have seating if they forced their way into the stadium. With the kick off scheduled at 8 pm, the Olympic Way leading to Wembley Stadium was already packed with fans by 3 pm, which made it difficult for fans with tickets to enter the stadium. The security and COVID check cordons were breached by 5:45 pm with ticketless fans outnumbering the police and stewards.
It was too late by the time a lockdown was enforced around Wembley Stadium at 6 pm as police horses were being brought to restore order as thousands of ticketless fans had already made their way inside and refused to move from seats. 49 arrests were made while 19 police officers were injured while confronting volatile crowds. The debacle at the Euro 2020 final will dampen England’s hopes of hosting the World Cup 2030.
