Draw serves up poignant reminder <------ The Background story
Tuesday, 29 March 2005
European football will remember its darkest day when the protagonists of the 1984/85 European Champion Clubs' Cup final, Liverpool FC and Juventus FC, meet for the first time in UEFA club competition since the Heysel tragedy of 20 years ago.
On Wednesday 29 May 1985, 39 people lost their lives after a concrete wall fell inside the stadium trapping Juventus supporters underneath. Some fans had been fighting inside one area of the ground, but those attempting to avoid the violence found their escape blocked by a concrete wall which surrounded the enclosure in which they were situated. The strain caused by spectators attempting to scale the wall, together with the crush caused by those trying to flee, resulted in the wall collapsing, trapping those beneath.
The match was intended to be the last at an arena built in the 1920s, and so it proved as Heysel was demolished and rebuilt as an all-seater venue, with the only reminder of the tragedy being a gateway near the main entrance; the sole element of the original stadium still existing. As a result of the violence, English teams were banned from European club competition for five seasons, the ban extended by a further year for Liverpool. Michel Platini scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot.
Following their suspension, Liverpool have faced Italian opposition three times. They lost 4-1 on aggregate to Genoa 1893 in the quarter-finals of the 1991/92 UEFA Cup, Ian Rush scoring the Reds' goal. Since then, Liverpool have played AS Roma twice - and prevailed on both occasions. In the fourth round of the 2000/01 UEFA Cup, two Michael Owen goals earned a 2-0 victory in Rome. Though Roma won 1-0 at Anfield, Liverpool went through and eventually defeated Deportivo Alavés in the final.
The sides met again in the UEFA Champions League second group stage the following season, with a scoreless draw in Rome prefacing Liverpool's 2-0 home success on the final matchday. Goals from Jari Litmanen and Emile Heskey secured a result that propelled the English team above Roma in the rankings and into the knockout stages. There the Merseysiders lost 4-3 on aggregate to Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the quarter-finals.
Overall, Liverpool have hosted Italian opposition on five occasions, winning three and losing two. In Italy, the Reds have won two, drawn one and lost four of seven visits which include two finals against Italian teams.
Excluding Heysel, the English outfit have registered one home win and two away defeats versus Juventus. The sides faced off in the first round of the 1965/66 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup where a Gianfranco Leoncini goal gave the Turin club a narrow lead to take to Anfield. It was to prove insufficient as strikes from Liverpool's Chris Lawler and Geoff Strong gained a 2-1 aggregate triumph. The Reds advanced to the final only to lose 2-1 to BV Borussia Dortmund at Hampden Park.
Having defeated Roma in the 1983/84 European Cup final at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, Liverpool played UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winners Juventus in the UEFA Super Cup. The match was staged at Turin's Stadio Comunale on 16 January 1985, and goals in either half from Zbigniew Boniek gave the Italian team a 2-0 victory.
Given their regular Champions League involvement, Juve have been frequent visitors to England, having faced Premiership opposition on six occasions in the last eight seasons. Their most recent engagements came in 2002/03 when the Bianconeri took on both Newcastle United FC and Manchester United FC. Juve beat Newcastle 2-0 at the Delle Alpi with Alessandro Del Piero scoring twice, but lost 1-0 at St James' Park. Both clubs progressed to the second group phase where Newcastle exited, but Juventus advanced despite losing home and away to Manchester United.
Juventus then qualified for the final by overcoming FC Barcelona and Real Madrid CF in the knockout stages. However, they would lose the endgame on penalties to AC Milan at Old Trafford.
In total, Juventus have played 14 matches away to English teams with two wins, four draws and eight defeats. Their last victory in England came in the 1996/97 campaign when they beat Manchester United home and away in the Champions League group stage. Alen Bokšic scored the only goal in Turin while a Del Piero penalty divided the sides in Manchester. Juve subsequently lost to Dortmund in the final. At home, meanwhile, the Bianconeri have won eleven, drawn one and lost three against English rivals.
source: uefa.com