As any fule know, all the SMAC, banners and false pity in the world wasn’t going to save the Scousers from what will happen over there.
‘Liverpool supporters have taken up only two thirds of their ticket allocation for next week’s European Cup quarter-final second-leg tie away to Juventus, amid growing fears that the hostility stemming from the Heysel stadium disaster 20 years ago may spill into violence from a hard core of Italian fanatics threatening “revenge”.
‘An olive branch was offered by Liverpool before Tuesday’s first leg at Anfield, but while it was gratefully accepted by the majority of Juventus supporters, a sizeable minority were seemingly unwilling to forget or forgive the actions that led to 39 deaths before the clubs met in the ill-fated final of the competition in Brussels in 1985. They made the symbolic gesture of turning their backs on an emotional pre-match ceremony, apparently to demonstrate their contempt for the efforts at reconciliation.
‘The reactions of that hard-line element among the Turin club’s followers have increased Liverpool’s concerns about the safety of their supporters on Wednesday. No public comment was made on the matter yesterday, but club officials are known to be worried about the threats of violence that have been made on websites by Juventus “ultras”. These messages carried threats to “break the bones of the red animals”. One of them read: “I want to see them covered in their own blood.”
‘Ten people were arrested in connection with incidents in Liverpool city centre before the match on Tuesday, but, aside from the hostility of some Juventus fans, the atmosphere inside Anfield was “perfect”, Markus Studer, the Uefa deputy chief executive, said. “Liverpool must be applauded for the way they handled the arrangements and the fans of both clubs understood the message,” he said. “There was not a hint of trouble in the stadium. It was a very successful night for European football.”
‘The worry is that whatever Liverpool achieve on the pitch next week might be overshadowed by what happens on the terraces and outside the stadium.’