Collapse at Thionville stadium: 20 fans injured during U18 match
This was supposed to be an ordinary match between the U18 teams of Sporting Bertrange, and Coume, after which the fans gathered at the stadium would return home. However, some fans ended up in the hospital due to a barrier collapse in the stands.
5:02 AM EDT, June 11, 2024
On Sunday, June 9th, at the Guentrange stadium in Thionville, a match occurred between the U18 teams of US Bertrange and Coume FC. The stands were filled with fans eager for excitement, but they instead experienced terrifying moments.
At one point, the barriers in the stands broke (you can see the photo at the end of the article), causing the fans leaning on them to fall to the ground from a height of about 5 feet. According to the francebleu.fr portal, twenty fans were injured.
Fourteen of them required medical assistance in the hospital, and three of them sustained serious injuries, including a broken shinbone, a broken arm, and a crushed finger. Meanwhile, the other six people who fell from the stands returned home after receiving first aid at the scene.
Thionville Mayor Pierre Cuny explained to the media that the frightening events occurred at the end of the match. Emergency services, including ambulances and the fire department, arrived promptly. An investigation has been launched to determine the causes of the accident.
Both clubs, competing on the field at the time of the incident, have not commented on social media. It should be noted that US Guentrange's headquarters is located in Thionville, a city in the northeastern French department of Moselle.
Let us recall that similar incidents have happened with much worse consequences. In 1985, during the Champions League final match between Juventus and Liverpool, one of the stands collapsed.
The Heysel Stadium was not adequately prepared to host many fans. The walls and fences were in poor technical condition, and the security systems were insufficient to control the crowd. Thirty-nine people died.
