1985 - Approximately an hour before the Juventus–Liverpool final was due to kick off, Liverpool supporters charged at Juventus supporters and breached a fence that was separating them from a “neutral area”. The cause of the rampage has been attributed by eyewitnesses to Liverpool fans who had been drinking heavily.[2] Juventus fans ran back on the terraces and away from the threat into a concrete wall. Fans already standing near the wall were crushed; eventually the wall collapsed, allowing others to escape.[3] Many people climbed over to safety, but many others died or were badly injured. The game was played despite the pre-match incidents by authorities and organizers’ joint decision for public policy doctrine reasons[4] after a state of siege was declared in the city,[5] with Juventus winning 1–0.[6]
The tragedy resulted in all English football clubs being placed under an indefinite ban by Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) from all European competitions (lifted in 1990–91), with Liverpool being excluded for an additional two years, later reduced to one,[7][8][9] and 14 Liverpool fans were found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. The disaster was later described as “the darkest hour in the history of the UEFA competitions”.[10]