Getting off lightly? England escape with one-match stadium ban & €100K fine for mass disorder at Euro 2020 final at Wembley

England have been ordered to play one match behind closed doors and fined €100,000 by UEFA for the mass unrest which marred the Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley in July.

A further one-match stadium ban was suspended for two years, meaning England fans will effectively be on probation for the disturbing scenes that accompanied the nation’s first major footballing final in 55 years.  

In addition, the English Football Association was fined €100,000 (£85,000) for what UEFA described as “the lack of order and discipline inside and around the stadium, for the invasion of the field of play, for throwing of objects and for the disturbances during the national anthems.”

The match on July 11 saw thousands of ticketless England fans descend on Wembley, with a number of them seen breaking through security cordons into the stadium, where they clashed with fellow supporters and stewards.

Responding to the decision by UEFA, the FA said: “Although we are disappointed with the verdict, we acknowledge the outcome of this UEFA decision.”

The sanction means England will be forced to play without fans for one match, which will likely be a UEFA Nations League group game next year.

The July 11 showpiece at Wembley was England's first appearance in a major final since the 1966 World Cup.

Fans massed in the capital early in the day before the evening kick-off, as an initial sense of celebration and expectation gave way to tensions and violence before the game had even started. 

The capacity at the 90,000-seater Wembley had been reduced to 60,000 because of Covid measures, meaning some ticketless fans spied an opportunity to enter and make use of the empty space, or simply occupy places bought legally by other fans.

London's Metropolitan Police said that 51 arrests were made in relation to the final, with 26 of those coming at Wembley, although the scenes suggested carnage far beyond that scale.

What transpired will have been particularly embarrassing for the FA and local authorities, who were handed the showpiece final and could also have their reputation tarnished ahead of a potential bid for the 2030 World Cup along with other UK nations and Ireland.

On the pitch at Wembley, England suffered heartache when they lost a penalty shootout to the Italians.

England had taken the lead through Luke Shaw after just two minutes, but Italy struck back in the second half thanks to a goal from Leonardo Bonucci. 

England trio Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed their efforts in the shootout, meaning the Three Lions' long wait for a major title continued.