Hundreds of fans apparently rushed into the stadium before the England-Italy match Sunday night, creating conflict and confusion
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Hundreds of fans apparently rushed into the stadium before the England-Italy match Sunday night, creating conflict and confusion
Fans arrive at Wembley for the final of the European Championship.
PHOTO: MARTYN WHEATLEY/ZUMA PRESS
By
Joshua Robinson
July 11, 2021 3:02 pm ET
LONDON—Hundreds of ticketless fans rushed into Wembley Stadium here on Sunday evening ahead of England’s European Championship final showdown with Italy, causing clashes in the stands and raising fears about security surrounding the game.
The first breaches occurred around two hours before kickoff dozens of people burst through barriers surrounding the stadium and streamed into the concourses, overwhelming police and security guards.
“Fans have been jumping over barriers but there has been no access to the stadium,” UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, said in a statement to reporters. It added that there was “no concern that any protocol will come into place in which the stadium will be shut down.”
Yet all over the stands, stewards were seen removing fans without tickets, while others simply bounced from seat to seat to evade detection. The Metropolitan Police had earlier urged people to stay away from the stadium if they didn’t have tickets. The streets around Wembley, however, were packed hours before kickoff as people flocked to nearby bars ahead of the England men’s team’s first major-tournament final in 55 years.
Wembley normally holds 90,000 people, but attendance was capped at 60,000 due to pandemic restrictions.
