Netflix recently released a documentary titled The Final: Attack on Wembley that showcased the disturbing incidents during the Euro 2020 Final.
The UEFA European Championship, aka the Euro, is a soccer tournament that takes place every four years. During its 2020 edition, which was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, England competed against Italy in the finals. The tournament concluded with Italy emerging victorious for the second time. However, controversy arose when England supporters caused mayhem before, during, and after the match.
According to Give Me Sport, the rucks began on the morning of July 11, 2021, the day of the Euro 2020 Final. At around 10 a.m., soccer fans around Wembley Stadium started to drink heavily. This raised a few security concerns because the amount of alcohol consumed was plenty. Eventually, several fans jumped onto the roof of Fulton Road, and by 1 p.m., they lit flares for the game. However, the kick-off was not to begin till 8 p.m.. This is when officials realized that the scenario could turn ugly within minutes.
A few hours later, more fans gathered around the venue, which eventually led to several arrests. The first arrest was due to tailgating. As the situation worsened, authorities deployed more than 500 officers to control the situation. Two hours before kick-off, the crowd demolished the fence line and breached Wembley’s outer security perimeter.
A few minutes later, about 70 fans infiltrated one of the entrances for the disabled and stormed inside. This happened multiple times, and by 8 pm, numerous individuals, both with and without tickets, had gained unauthorized access to the stadium.
2000 ticketless fans were in attendance during the Euro 2020 Final
As things took a dire turn, a steward allowed people to enter the premises because he was unsure of his safety. Later, he stated that he would never return to work, no matter what. He said, “People were punching, kicking, I just opened the door and got out of the way. There’s no money they could offer to make me come back.”
After the match commenced, England’s Luke Shaw scored a goal within 90 seconds. When the crowd outside learned of this, they flocked to the outer gate of the South West Ramp. However, throughout the rest of the match, several fans were still looking for a way to enter Wembley.
In the second half, Italy’s Leonardo Bonucci scored an equalizer and took the game to extra time. This resulted in yet another security breach. Circumstances were so dreadful that some officials were rooting for Italy to prevent a catastrophe.
According to Sky News, 2000 ticketless fans were in attendance during the Euro 2020 Final. In fact, their vicious entry into the stadium could have resulted in hundreds of deaths. In a review of the incident, Dame Louise Casey stated, “Shocking and unprecedented levels of criminal and anti-social behaviour were evident from very early in the day, which caught all agencies off guard and meant the police deployment arrived too late.”
The ruckus did not end after Italy defeated England to lift the cup. Portable toilets outside Wembley Stadium were knocked over, and Italian supporters faced abuse from England fans. Reports suggest that on their way back home, one Italian family was abused on a train, but the situation was subdued due to staff interference. Furthermore, 31 tonnes of trash was recovered from the venue, which exceeded the expected amount.
How many people were arrested in the incident?
As per Sky Sports, the Metropolitan Police arrested 86 individuals in connection to the aforementioned disaster. These arrests were due to several reasons, such as public order offenses, assault, and drunkenness. Nineteen police officers sustained injuries, out of which one lost a tooth and another fractured their hand.
Several fans who attended the match recalled the fateful day. One account stated that people were indulged in consuming drugs, and their children were terrified of what was happening around them. The statement read, “People were taking cocaine in front of us and smoking drugs behind us. My sons cried for most of the game, scared by the events surrounding us.”
Reports suggest that theft was another issue that arose during the Euro 2020 Final. According to the Mirror, two men robbed F1 star Lando Norris of his Richard Mille designer watch worth over $180,000. For this ordeal, the 25-year-old Liam Williams pleaded not guilty to one count of robbing the F1 racer. At the Harrow Crown Court, Prosecutor Tyrone Silcott stated, “Mr Norris attended that game and when returning to his car after the match he was robbed of his watch by two men. The Crown’s case is that this defendant is one of those two men. We all agree, both the Crown and defence that Mr Norris was robbed.”
The documentary The Final: Attack on Wembley is available to stream on Netflix.
