Juventus open new memorial to mark 40 years since Heysel Stadium disaster
Juventus have opened a new memorial to the victims of the Heysel Stadium disaster, 40 years after 39 people died following clashes between supporters at the ground in Brussels.
The memorial was designed by Italian artist Luca Vitone and is located on the Strada della Continassa, near Juventus' Allianz Stadium and training centre in Turin.
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The Heysel Stadium disaster happened before the 1985 European Cup final between Juventus and Liverpool, when 39 people — 32 Italians, four Belgians, two Frenchmen and one Northern Irishman — died after a wall that they had been pushed up against collapsed as they were trying to escape clashes between the two sets of supporters that had begun in the stands. Fourteen fans served prison sentences in Belgium for their actions, the secretary general of the Belgian FA received a six-month prison sentence for mistakes made in ticket arrangement, and UEFA was found civilly liable in 1990 and later made jointly responsible for incidents occurring at events it organises.
The memorial, which is situated in what was a 2,000m squared green space, is the culmination of a project launched by Juventus and the late art critic and fan of the club, Luca Beatrice. The garden features a ramp that spirals up into the sky. At the top of the LED-illuminated walkway is a telescope with inverted lenses, which draw the viewer's gaze toward the horizon. Verso Altrove, a work by artist Vitone, is supposed to take you somewhere else — not away from Heysel but to a place of contemplation and reflection.
40 anni fa, la tragedia dell'Heysel.
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) May 29, 2025
A Ginkgo biloba has been planted to provide more than just shade from the heat on warm summer days. 'Symbolically, it's a very important tree,' Vitone told The Athletic. 'It was one of the few living things that survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima in 1945. Already a symbol of resistance, longevity and perseverance in life, it should be a lesson to us all on how to live in this world. It's an ancient tree, a living fossil, a symbol of tenacity and memory, which is considered one of the most positive representations of life in the Far East.'
Vitone admits such a delicate project wasn't easy to approach. He felt a great responsibility and said that 'we'll only know if we've done something significant or not in the coming months and years'.
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'Now, with Verso Altrove, a new memorial has been added to the club's commitment to cherishing this remembrance, a hymn of life and the human capacity to transform suffering into a renewed sense of hope,' a Juventus statement read on Thursday.
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New York Times
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It'll be worth keeping an eye then if Martinez slots in Vitinha – yet another PSG star – into the starting lineup. Vitinha clearly provided a big boost when he came on as a second-half sub against Germany. With the elite ability to control the tempo when things get chaotic, he may be too good to leave on the bench. Where Martinez needs to find balance will be in the attack. Ronaldo will get the start at center forward, but sometimes the reliance on a legend (and the deference to him) has bottled up Portugal's ability to score at critical times in competition. Any coach would be jealous of Portugal's stable of wingers – including Francisco Conceição, Pedro Neto, and Diogo Jota. And with forwards like Gonçalo Ramos and Rafael Leão, it may be hard to keep that amount of talent on the bench if Portugal are looking for a goal. Spain: What to watch for Under manager Luis de la Fuente, there is an effective mix of youth and veterans that has allowed this team to seemingly combine Spain's trademark possession-based playmaking in the midfield with some high-pressing attack at the top. If there is any soft spot in this side, it could be in central defense. Dean Huijsen has the talent to be one of the world's best center-backs, but the newly signed Real Madrid player is just 20 years old. It's assuring that his backline partner has been Robin Le Normand, but they'll be put to the test by Ronaldo and the Portuguese's potent attack. Spain has been without Rodri, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, and the world's best defensive midfielder due to an ACL tear suffered last year with Manchester City. But make no mistake, this is an effective midfield and partly due to Martin Zubimundi. Playing in the pivot position, the Real Sociedad man has remained steady in possession and kept his own against a tough France squad in the semifinals. Mikel Merino may play higher up the field with Spain than he does at the club level, but that allowed the Arsenal man to score a crucial goal in the semifinal win. As he does with Barcelona, Pedri provides a perfect combination of creation and defense. Even at the young age of 21, he's arguably Spain's most talented midfielder. But all eyes will be on Yamal. He showed his scoring prowess all year for Barcelona and has continued to do so on the international level. Against France, he demonstrated that defenders must respect his ability to attack the goal, otherwise they risk getting outpaced or him drawing a penalty. And while there's no true center forward for Spain in the mold of their previous greats, the high-paced attack of Yamal and Nico Williams along the wings gives this team plenty of firepower. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! Get more from CONCACAF Nations League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
