Matteo Simoni reveals how 'Heysel 85' relives the 1985 tragedy

In the new film 'Heysel 85' Matteo Simoni plays a journalist who, on 29 May 1985, during the European Cup I final between Liverpool and Juventus, hopes to find news about his family, while the Heysel disaster claimed the lives of 39 supporters. The scene captures the tension and the unimaginable drama that marked the evening.

The Heysel disaster remains one of the darkest pages in European football history. With the film 'Heysel 85' the tragedy is brought back to life on the big screen.

Simoni plays one of the leading roles and reenacts the events of that fateful night. The actor spoke with people who experienced the disaster up close.

He describes the event as incomprehensible. “It remains an incomprehensible event,” he says.

Regarding the chaos during the match he spoke at length. “All that turmoil among the supporters and they just let the match go on. Three quarters of the stadium didn’t know what was happening. I have spoken to people who had had a fantastic evening. Juventus had won 1‑0, a celebration among Limburg Italian fans, right?”

He added: “Only when they got home in the evening did they hear from their parents and friends what exactly had happened. That lack of communication is disturbing, you can’t imagine it today.”

The aftermath of the Heysel disaster

Despite the many casualties the match was eventually still played. Juventus won 1‑0 thanks to a penalty from Michel Platini. The sporting result was eclipsed by the tragedy.

Simoni concluded: “You can’t play football on a cemetery. You can’t win trophies when people are dying. Morally you know that you can’t.”

With 'Heysel 85' one of the most moving events in football history receives renewed attention. The film keeps the memory of the Heysel disaster alive in the public debate.