juventus fans warn of heysel disaster

Juventus Soccer Fans Warn of Heysel Disaster 'Revenge' on Liverpool

By Nick Allen, PA Chief Reporter


Juventus fans warned today that small groups of hardcore hooligans will seek revenge for the Heysel Stadium disaster when their team meets Liverpool 20 years on.

Today’s Champions League draw pitted the two clubs against each other two decades after fans of the Italian club were crushed to death under a collapsing wall before the European Cup final.


A total of 39 people died and English clubs were subsequently thrown out of European competition for five years.

Since then, the two clubs have maintained close contact and built bridges and the vast majority of Juventus fans are hoping for a peaceful game.

But within hours of the draw being announced there were warnings that some so-called “ultras” – hardline followers of Juventus – had made clear they have not forgotten Heysel and are not prepared to forgive.

Menacing postings on Italian football websites included one which read: “Now it is Liverpool’s turn to be shot.”

Another said it would be “sick” to lose to the English club.

One Juventus supporter posted a picture of masked Italian hooligans, including a young man wielding a metal pipe, and wrote: “The boy with the pipe is one of the leading supporters (of Juventus) nowadays.

“Don’t expect him to shake hands with ’Pool fans. Violence will occur, I’m sure of it.”

Referring to the picture another Juventus supporter said: “I’m proud of him.”

Another said: “Yes, the clubs have a reasonable relationship now, but the fact is that many fans in Italy do blame Liverpool still and if you go stand in the Curva Sud at the Delle Alpi and ask for thoughts on Liverpool you will be greeted with disgust.

“The feelings are still strong, rightly or wrongly, that’s the way it is.”

Another Juventus fan wrote: “There will be thousands of them (Liverpool fans) in Turin. I’m really scared. If something bad happens we can easily be banned from Europe.”

Liverpool officials said the meeting would be emotional but stressed the hard work that had been done to mend fences with Juventus fans.

Former assistant coach Phil Thompson said: “Both clubs are very, very close and have worked exceptionally hard to help each other overcome what happened.”

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said: “There is quite a deep friendship between the clubs and, I think, between the two sets of fans.

“It’s of course 20 years since Heysel so we’ve already mentioned that and it’s something we have given thought to. I’m confident we’ll get it right. It’s something we’ll think about carefully.”

STILL SUFFERING

Liverpool and Juventus officials talked after the draw about marking the occasion in some way but Boniek urged caution.

"It is pointless trying to force gestures of reconciliation from those who have suffered and are still suffering -- it won't change anything," he said.

The president of the Association of Families of Heysel Victims, Otello Lorentini, said however that he wanted to see some commemoration of the tragedy.

"I just hope that the two clubs want to at least record what happened that evening and record the victims, given that up until today no-one has ever listened to us," he said.

Lorentini said that even before the draw his association had proposed a friendly match between the two clubs to mark the 20th anniversary of the tragedy.

Lorentini, whose son Roberto died at Heysel, said he would not be watching the game.

"No, I won't be watching on television. For twenty years I haven't watched a game on television, just little bits to keep my grandchildren company," he said.