On this day in 1985, Juventus lifted their first ever European Cup, the tournament that was the predecessor of the modern-day Champions League. Michel Platini’s spot-kick was enough to secure a victory over Liverpool in the final.
But sadly, what was supposed to be a glorious memory for the club will forever be plagued by the tragic events that ensued inside the stadium in Heysel.
Due to pre-match crowd trouble, a section of the stands fell, taking away the lives of 39 Juventus supporters, including innocent women and children, while leaving many others severely injured.
For their part, the players were unaware of the horrific events that occurred and the organizers shockingly insisted that the match should go on as scheduled.
38 years later, this remains the saddest day in Juve’s history, and the club took the occasion to pay homage to those who lost their lives in those dreadful events.
“Two teams set to play a European Cup Final, a match that had captured the attention of all of Europe,” reads the club’s official statement.
“A stadium in Belgium, a night that was supposed to be a party. There were thousands of people that night at Heysel, thousands of eyes that couldn’t wait for the emotion of a great match.
“There were 39 of them that never saw that match.
“Since that day in 1985, the word “Heysel” has been synonymous with dismay, irrationality, heinous events spiralling out of control.
“May 29 is a date when that wound hurts again, and we know that pain will never stop.
“We gather together in remembrance with the families and all the loved ones of those 39 innocent people.
“They were there, and they will never stop being with us.”
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