Heysel repeat avoided in Paris
PARIS: French sports minister Patrick Kanner praised security officials at the Stade de France for keeping their nerves when faced with the attacks that hit Paris last week.
The Stade de France was packed with 79,000 fans when three attackers blew themselves up outside the venue, killing a bystander. There also were several dozen injuries.
Kanner, who attended the friendly game between France and Germany on Friday, said the decision to keep spectators inside and let the match continue after the blasts was decisive “because a Heysel-type panic could have occurred.’’
Kanner referred to the former Heysel stadium in Brussels where 39 people died during fan violence at the 1985 European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus.
“The tragic events [at Stade de France] had a limited impact in terms of human losses because of the great professionalism and the composure of the teams working at the stadium,’’ Kanner said, after visiting the venue along with justice minister Christiane Taubira and secretary of state for sports Thierry Braillard.
It’s still unclear why the attackers blew themselves up outside the stadium after the game had started, with most of the fans already inside. At least one of the bombers tried to get in, but was turned away, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.
In Brussels 30 years ago, Liverpool fans broke into an adjacent section of the Heysel stadium holding Juventus supporters. In the ensuing chaos, victims were either trampled or suffocated to death as they tried to flee the violence. Others died when a retaining wall collapsed.
The match controversially went ahead, allowing authorities to restore a semblance of order in the chaos and arrange a relatively peaceful departure of the fans of both clubs.
Heysel has since been completely rebuilt and renamed Roi Baudouin stadium, hosting matches at the European Championship in 2000.
While the explosions at the Stade de France claimed only one of the fatalities, at least 129 people died in a string of coordinated attacks in Paris on Friday evening.
The attacks, which occurred less than a year after gunmen killed 17 people at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper offices and in a kosher supermarket, has raised questions about France’s ability to safely host next year’s European Championship.
According to Kanner, about one million people will travel from abroad for the tournament. He said security measures will be increased, “but there is no discussion today about stopping this great popular party that the 2016 Euro will be.’’
Kanner was also adamant that the attacks should not have an impact on Paris’ bid to host the 2024 Olympics. He said IOC president Thomas Bach “was extremely reassuring’’ in insisting that there would not be any repercussions for the French candidacy.