The English Football Association (FA) has said it will work with the relevant authorities to take action against ticketless fans who illegally forced their way into Wembley Stadium for last night’s UEFA Euro 2020 final between Italy and England.
Wembley was a scene of chaos in the hours leading up to the final, with around 200,000 fans estimated to have been in the vicinity of the stadium. The official capacity of the stadium for yesterday’s match was around 60,000.
Videos on social media showed fans breaking through ticket barriers outside of Wembley and fighting with other supporters and stewards once inside the stadium.
An initial statement from Wembley said that there were “no security breaches of people without tickets getting inside the stadium” but a spokesperson later confirmed that there was a breach and a “small group” of people entered the venue.
Wembley said that anyone without a ticket would be instantly ejected. The exact number of supporters who entered the stadium is unclear but witnesses said that it was in the hundreds, with reporters inside Wembley stating that fans were arriving at their seats only to see them occupied by ticketless supporters.
Following the match, an FA spokesperson said: “We strongly condemn the behaviour of a group of people that forced their way into Wembley Stadium before the Euro 2020 final. This is entirely unacceptable.
“These people are an embarrassment to the England team and to all of the true fans who wanted to enjoy one of the most important matches in our history. We will work with the relevant authorities to take action against anyone who is identified to have illegally forced their way into the stadium.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police added: “There was a breach of security at Wembley Stadium, which resulted in a small number of people getting into the stadium without a ticket. Officers worked closely with security officials to prevent any further breaches. We will also support action by Wembley Stadium officials to identify those without tickets and eject them.”
Wembley staged a total of eight matches during Euro 2020, with the stadium’s capacity increasing from 22,500 for its opening fixture to more than 60,000 for the semi-finals and final. Eleven cities across Europe hosted matches during the tournament.
Wembley’s Euro 2020 matches formed part of the UK Government’s Events Research Programme to assess the wider return of fans to venues. Fans attending matches were required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or full vaccination against the virus.
Image: Pixabay
Share this