From Leicester Square to Picadilly Circus, in the streets and pubs of London or in front of Wembley stadium, disorder and jubilation seized the British capital on Sunday 11 July, even before the kick-off of the final of the Euro.
Bottles thrown as Leicester Square, London, becomes unofficial ‘fan zone’ for thousands of England fans. # ENGITA … https://t.co/WTyAerVNyf
In front of Wembley Stadium, the temperature began to rise several degrees, with tens of thousands of English supporters dressed in shirts, flags and hats in the colors of the selection of the Three Lions, nickname of the England team, burning to see it sacred, after half a century of failures, facing Italians determined to play spoilers.
Ignoring barrier gestures, they have gathered around the stadium since the morning and some, tipsy, have started to throw stones, beer cans, backpacks or traffic cones into the air at passers-by.
According to UEFA, 67,500 spectators were expected for this final, including 7,500 Italian supporters and personalities such as Prince William, David Beckham, England’s three-time scorer in the 1966 World Cup final, Geoff Hurst, actor Tom Cruise and model Kate Moss. Some Italian supporters were also taken to task by raging English supporters, and most of the tifosi who had a ticket to attend the final quickly returned to their seats.
Barriers knocked down, security personnel overwhelmed
Idiots at Wembley for the riot police to deal with # Euro2020Final #ENGITA https://t.co/Iw5Fv7Vcv7
According to images posted on social media, dozens of ticketless supporters knocked down barriers and overwhelmed security personnel to enter the close perimeter of the stadium. The company that runs Wembley Stadium has issued a statement saying it “Was faced with an incident which occurred in the outer perimeter of the stadium” and that she had received support from the police. “Security measures were quickly activated in the areas concerned and there are no people without tickets who have entered the stadium”, she assured.
On Twitter, London Police asked supporters not to come to Wembley if they didn’t have tickets because “The area is extremely busy”. “We have agents on site to deal with the crowds and ensure the safety of people”, she clarified.
An AFP journalist also noted that trains full of supporters were leaving Wembley for central London, presumably in order to follow the match in front of television screens.
In the center of the British capital, the tourist district of Leicester Square, stormed by fans, remains much quieter. Around 1,500 lucky people drawn will be able to watch the match from the giant screen in the fan-zone installed in Trafalgar Square.