19 Jul 2021

The Euro 2020 final: a dark day for Wembley and England

Even before kick-off, something was rotten around Wembley Way.

It was all meant to be historic. A once in a generation moment. 55 years of hurt no more. Whatever the result, England had finally broken that painful barrier and made it into a final.

And yet even before a kick of the ball, something was rotten around Wembley Way.

After hours of drinking last Sunday, people smashed through flimsy fences, they pushed through turnstiles, they kicked, they punched, and they made their way into the stadium. All without a ticket.

And then after the defeat, the racist abuse online.

How did it come to this? That a summer of hope and joy could turn so ugly in mere hours?

Today, we look at what happened in and around Wembley last week – as well as what happened online – and ask what it all says about the England of today.

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