England handed stadium ban by UEFA over ‘lack of order and discipline’ in Euro 2020 final

In addition to a two-match crowd ban, with the second suspended for a two-year probationary period, UEFA ordered the FA to pay a hefty fine.

England fans ahead of the Euro 2020 final. (Image: Twitter)
By Nilavro Ghosh | Oct 18, 2021 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

England will have to play behind closed doors at Wembley Stadium after the Football Association (FA) was fined for a ‘lack of order and discipline’ in and around the national stadium during the Euro 2020 final. In addition to a two-match crowd ban, with the second suspended for a two-year probationary period, UEFA ordered the Football Association to pay a 100,000 euro fine. The ban will take effect for England’s next competitive UEFA match, which is set to be their first home game of the 2022-23 Nations League season.

CHAOS DURING EURO 2020 FINAL

The punishment was widely anticipated after scenes of chaos and violence marred England’s match against Italy, as well as the country’s first major final in 50 years. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people stormed the stadium without a ticket. There were then scenes of chaos inside the stadium, while outside, additional crowds caused havoc along Wembley Way prior to the game and into the night, with reports of assault, abuse, and drug use widespread.

In explaining its decisions, Uefa stated that the ban was imposed due to a general lack of order, but that the fine was imposed due to additional specific offences. It stated that the money should be paid for ‘invasion of the field of play, throwing of objects, and disturbances during the national anthems.’

Following the events of July 11, the FA came under intense scrutiny for an apparent lack of effective security inside the stadium. An investigation has been launched, with results expected before Christmas. When England played Italy on the day, there were serious disruptions as ticketless fans fought with stewards and police officers and forced their way into the stadium. 

UEFA’s disciplinary investigators have been looking into England fans’ behaviour during what appeared to be an ineffective security operation around Wembley Stadium for England’s first appearance in a major final since 1966. In addition to the disciplinary investigation into events involving fans inside and around the stadium, the FA faced four additional charges relating to fan behaviour.

FA ACKNOWLEDGES UEFA DECISION

“Although we are disappointed with the verdict, we acknowledge the outcome of this UEFA decision,” the FA said in a statement, with the disappointment understood to refer to supporters being absent. 

“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,” the statement added.

The UEFA decision is similar to Hungary’s punishment for racist and homophobic behaviour by their fans during the Euros. Hungary received a three-match ban, with one match suspended, and a 100,000 euro fine as a result of this. Last week, Hungary visited Wembley Stadium for a World Cup qualifying match, resulting in scenes of violence as police attempted to arrest a visiting fan.





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