Football Association to publish review of Euro 2020 final chaos on Friday

The review of the Euro 2020 final chaos at Wembley will be published by the Football Association on Friday.

July’s clash between England and Italy was marred by chaotic and ugly scenes before, during and after the showpiece, with a number of ticketless supporters forcing their way in.

The FA has already been sanctioned by UEFA over the disorder and must play their next home UEFA competition game behind closed doors, with a further match suspended.

That is likely to be a Nations League fixture next June.

The FA commissioned Baroness Casey of Blackstock to carry out an independent review of what occurred, and her findings are set to be published on the governing body’s website on Friday morning.

The objective of the review was to understand what happened on the day of the final – July 11 – and determine lessons learnt to prevent any repeat.

The review looked at incidents in and around the stadium, and events and decisions made in advance of the match and during it.

It looked at the planning and preparedness of the FA and its delivery partners to identify “issues and gaps”, and assessed the adequacy of the response to events inside and outside the stadium.

Security arrangements were examined to identify weaknesses and recommend changes.

In addition to the FA, the review was given scope to speak to the Metropolitan Police, the Greater London Authority, the Safety Advisory Group for the stadium, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and tournament organisers UEFA.

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said last month he was convinced the disorder had not “put the kibosh” on hopes of hosting the 2030 World Cup.

The UK and Ireland is considering a bid for the centenary event, with a feasibility study ongoing.

Disability access charity Level Playing Field also contributed to the review, after ticketless individuals entered areas of the stadium reserved for disabled spectators.

Tony Taylor, the chair of LPF, said in a statement to the PA news agency in September: “Events at the Euro 2020 final need to be recognised for what they were: dangerous chaos and disorder that put fans – and especially disabled fans – directly in harm’s way.

“We have heard from fans who were frightened and shaken due to these events and questioned their own safety at future tournaments and fixtures.

“We are clear in our view that there must be a full, detailed review with tangible meaningful actions to prevent a repeat of the appalling scenes we witnessed at Wembley in July. It is only through good fortune that we are not talking about serious injuries being the end result.”

LPF said one disabled supporter reported being ‘hijacked’ by a ticketless individual impersonating a steward in order to gain entry to the stadium.