When England last beat the Netherlands in a European Championship in Germany, not only was the future of English football at stake, but so was the country’s international reputation. The IS “telegraph“The scandal recalls the June 15, 1988 in Düsseldorf. At the same venue where Gareth Southgate’s side recently beat Switzerland on penalties, the great Marco van Basten destroyed the England team with three goals in a row. England were eliminated from the tournament after two defeats.
“Worse than animals”: Serious consequences for staff
But while the team was struggling on the pitch, a much deeper problem was brewing on the streets of Düsseldorf. Hundreds of English hooligans clashed with West German police, Dutch fans and locals over two nights. The Telegraph reports that the riot at the city’s main train station was so violent that the British Home Secretary at the time, Douglas Hurd, was forced to apologize to his West German counterpart Hans Neusel. The then sports minister Colin Moynihan described the bullies as “worse than animals”.
The problems became such that the FA had to abandon its planned appeal against UEFA’s ban on English clubs in European competitions after the Heysel disaster in 1985. Margaret Thatcher, then prime minister, invited Hurd and Moynihan to a “summit” on hooliganism in London. Drunken Englishmen were reportedly giving Nazi salutes in Stuttgart after Bobby Robson’s side lost their Euro 88 opener to the Republic of Ireland. The attack on a US serviceman and the stabbing of an Egyptian-born taxi driver were particularly horrific, the Telegraph reports.
It was decided that friendlies outside the European qualifiers were no longer an option. Friendly matches could only be organized at Wembley or in countries where violent English fans could not travel – the Soviet Union or South America were chosen for this. A planned friendly against Italy in Turin in September 1988 was then cancelled.
Allegations about Felix Zwayer
Ahead of the semi-finals at Euro 2024, UEFA’s decision to name German referee Felix Zwayer has caused a stir. Zwayer was suspended in 2005 due to a casting scandal. Despite a history with Jude Bellingham, he will solve the game, reports “The mirror“. Bellingham was fined $43,000 for his comments about Zwayer following a controversial decision in a match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in 2021. “You give the biggest game in Germany to a referee who has fixed matches before – what to expect with “You? ” said a frustrated Bellingham at the time.
Norwegian TV journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft, who conducted the excellent interview at the time, criticized UEFA’s decision. “I’m not sure what UEFA have in mind about naming Zwayer for the England game,” Fjortoft said.