As a result of the crowd unrest during the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, UEFA has ordered England to play their next home games behind closed doors.
As previously reported, ticketless England fans battled with police and stewards as they sought to force their way into the stadium ahead of the team’s first final appearance since 1966, which took place in July against Italy.
England has been sanctioned by UEFA’s disciplinary panel with a two-match stadium ban, one of which will be postponed for two years, and a fine of 100,000 euros. As a result, England’s Nations League opener in 2022-23 will be devoid of spectators.
A statement from the English FA read: “Although we are disappointed with the verdict, we acknowledged the outcome of this UEFA decision. 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.”
Under UEFA guidelines, the FA is responsible for the conduct of England fans, and the FA has requested a video conference meeting with the tribunal.
The match’s capacity was cut from 90,000 to 60,000 because to coronavirus limitations, and with 30,000 empty seats in the stadium, numerous ticketless and ticketed spectators began causing mayhem even five hours before kick-off.
Fans claimed seeing disruptive fans urinating and doing drugs in the densely populated residential neighborhood in the hours leading up to kick-off, while ticket-checking cordons had been bypassed, with fans outnumbering stewards and police.
When many ticketed spectators arrived at the stadium, they discovered that their seats had been stolen by individuals who had entered illegally. The operation resulted in the injuries of 19 police officers and the arrests of 49 persons.
Following the events at Wembley in July, England’s capacity to host the 2030 World Cup, for which it is exploring a combined bid with the home nations and Ireland, has been questioned. If the bid is successful, the final will be held at Wembley Stadium.
