No disorder or vandalism linked to women’s Euros in London, police say
Figures contrasted with dozens of arrests during men’s tournament last year
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London saw no reported incidents of disorder or vandalism linked to the women’s Euros during the whole tournament, police have said.
The Metropolitan Police said that only two arrests were made, near Wembley Stadium during the final where England triumphed over Germany, but that they were for “offences not directly related to the football match”.
One man was fined for a public order offence and a second man was released with no further action.
The figures were a stark contrast to those for the men’s Euros final in July 2021, where England lost against Italy in a tense penalty shoot-out.
On that day, 76 people were arrested in London for offences connected to the match, including several for vandalism in Wembley, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square. Dozens more people were arrested after subsequent police appeals.
Nineteen police officers were injured in ugly scenes, as thousands of ticketless fans forced their way into the stadium.
A review commissioned of the events of 11 July 2021 said there were a “series of ‘near misses’ which could have led to significant injuries or even death”, and that the scenes at the national stadium were a “source of national shame”.
Dame Louise Casey condemned “drunkenness, drug-taking, irresponsibility, criminality, and the abuse of innocent people – including staff, families, and disabled ticket holders” by England fans, while the Euro 2020 tournament was also marred by reports of xenophobic attacks on Italians and race hate crimes against England players.
During the 2022 women’s tournament, London stadiums hosted three group games, a quarter-final and the final at Wembley, while other ties took place in other cities across England.
The tournament was held amid concern about reports of a rise in football-related disorder and violence across England, sparking new sanctions including club bans for people using fireworks and flares, invading pitches, using drugs or showing objects.
But spectators at Sunday’s final praised the “fantastic” and “family-friendly atmosphere” in the stadium.