Harry Maguire reveals his father may have broken ribs in Wembley stampede: 'It was really scary’
Harry Maguire has revealed his father is suffering from suspected broken ribs after he was caught up in the stampede at Wembley during the Euro 2020 final.
The England defender’s dad, Alan Maguire, was caught up in the chaotic scenes inside the stadium on Sunday night and left struggling to breathe.
Maguire described what happened as “scary” and says his family will be “more aware” when attending games in future.
The 28-year-old told The Sun: “My dad was in the stampede. I am pleased my kids didn’t go to the game.
“It was scary — he said he was scared and I don’t want anyone to experience that at a football match.
“I have seen a lot of videos and have spoken to dad and my family. It was my dad and agent who suffered the most. He was struggling with his breathing afterwards because of his ribs, but he’s not one to make a big fuss – he got on with it.
“I hope we can learn from this and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Dad will always support me and go to the games but he will be a little bit more aware of everything going on around. We should all be more aware and learn from it.”
On Tuesday, UEFA opened a disciplinary investigation into the incidents at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said on Monday that a full review would take place into what had happened.
He accused “drunken yobs” of trying to force their way into the stadium without tickets.
The FA was charged by UEFA on four counts arising from the mayhem. Disciplinary proceedings were opened over a pitch invasion, throwing of objects, booing the Italian national anthem and the lighting of a firework.
The FA said on Monday a review would now be conducted alongside the Metropolitan Police, the Greater London Authority, the Safety Advisory Group and tournament stakeholders.
A spokesperson added: “The behaviour of the people who illegally forced their way into the stadium was unacceptable, dangerous and showed total disregard for the safety and security protocols in place.
“No steward or security staff should be subjected to this type of behaviour and we thank them for their support on the night.”
The Metropolitan Police said there had been 53 arrests connected to the match for a variety of offences. The force also reported 19 officers had been injured as they confronted “volatile” crowds.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “We spent a lot of time encouraging and asking people not to turn up if they hadn’t got a ticket prior to the event, and clearly a lot of people chose to ignore us.”
Maguire hopes what happened on Sunday night does not affect England’s chances of hosting a future World Cup.
He said: “Wembley is an amazing place. It has been an amazing home and the fans and the way they have acted have been unbelievable, apart from the odd few in a final.
“We need to learn and we will — and it would be an amazing place to hold the World Cup.”
Watch: Ticketless football fans breach security at Wembley
