Juventus, Parliament marks 40 years since Heysel tragedy | OneFootball

On the fortieth anniversary of the Heysel tragedy, the Chamber of Deputies dedicated an official day to the memory of the 39 victims — 32 of whom were Italian — who died on May 29, 1985, before the European Cup final between Juventus and Liverpool.

Juventus, the Chamber commemorates 40 years since Heysel: “A trauma for sport that must not be forgotten”

The initiative, hosted in the Sala del Refettorio of Palazzo San Macuto, is part of a broader institutional effort aimed at safeguarding the historical memory linked to events that have permanently marked European sport.

A tragedy that marked the history of European sport

May 29, 2025, represented a symbolic milestone: forty years since one of the darkest chapters in the history of world football. In addition to the 39 deaths, more than 600 fans were injured in the collapse of sector Z of the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, caused by clashes between opposing supporters and structural deficiencies in the facility.

The official commemoration in Rome was an opportunity to reaffirm the civic value of remembrance and the need to maintain a high level of attention on stadium safety.

Ferrero: “Sport turned into pain, but memory cannot fade”

Juventus president Gianluca Ferrero emphasized the emotional and historical impact of the tragedy, calling it a collective trauma:

“It was a trauma. What was supposed to be a day of sport and joy turned into a tragedy for the world of sport, for the families of the victims, and for Juventus. Traumas must be understood and processed. Juventus’ intention is not to forget.”

Ferrero recalled the initiatives undertaken by the club to preserve the memory of Heysel:

“We inaugurated a stele with the names of the victims and a monument in their memory. We have invested in safety so that similar events can never happen again.”

Fontana: “Remembering to prevent football from being associated with violence”

The President of the Chamber, Lorenzo Fontana, broadened the reflection on the civic significance of remembrance:

“We must remember, because in remembrance lies the hope that these things will never happen again. Football is a sport and must return to being fun, without ever going too far. Only healthy emotions should remain to be passed on to our children. Heysel must be remembered so that no one ever again associates such a tragedy with football.”

Fontana then shared a more personal point of view, linked to his experience as a fan:

“I am a great football enthusiast, not of Juventus but of Hellas Verona. I watched a documentary about Heysel that kept me awake at night. I put myself in the shoes of those young fans who simply wanted to enjoy a day of celebration. I take my daughter to the stadium and I know the beauty of certain emotions: imagining that they never returned home is something that cannot be ignored. Not remembering this day would have been inconceivable.”

A necessary memory for the future of football

The fortieth anniversary has brought back to the forefront a theme too often relegated to historical chronicles: safety as a founding principle of modern sport. The Heysel tragedy represented a turning point in European regulations on sports infrastructure and the management of high-attendance events.

The day at the Chamber aimed to reaffirm that the responsibility of remembrance does not belong only to the institutions or the clubs involved, but to the entire sporting system.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.