UEFA to investigate England fan violence at Euro 2020 final

Supporters trample on barricades outside Wembley Stadium in London, during the Euro 2020 final. Credit: AP Photo

UEFA asked an investigator on Tuesday to study violence by England fans at the European Championship final including at least hundreds who got into Wembley Stadium without tickets.

The English Football Association was separately charged with multiple offenses by fans before and during their team's loss to Italy in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

The charges relate to booing Italy's national anthem, a fan who stopped play by running on the pitch, throwing objects, and lighting fireworks.

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While those offenses typically result in fines, more serious punishment such as full or partial stadium closures can follow the kind of violence seen on Sunday.

Fans without tickets broke through security barriers and turnstiles to get in to see England's first major tournament final in 55 years.

The official attendance was around 67,000 of the stadium's 90,000 capacity, with many seats intended to be left empty to distance fans during the Covid-19 pandemic.

UEFA gave no timetable for the disciplinary cases.

The FA was fined 30,000 euros ($35,000) for fan incidents after the team's semifinal at Wembley last week, including booing Denmark's anthem.