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Juventus News 2004-2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

08.04: Liverpool fans fear revenge Fears are growing that next weekâs Champions League tie between Juventus and Liverpool could be marred by violence. A third of Liverpoolâs ticket allocation have still to be taken up, as concern mounts that fan trouble could occur before the two teams meet in Italy for the first time since the Heysel Stadium disaster. The directors of the two clubs attempted to build bridges on Tuesday with numerous initiatives before the game at Anfield. But the Italian Juventus supporters turned their backs on a Îfriendshipâ banner, after 39 fans died in Brussels prior to the 1985 European Cup Final between the two sides. A spokesman of the Liverpool Independent Supporters buttociation expressed that talk of Juventus fans looking for revenge is unsettling. He just hopes that Liverpool fans aren't allowed into the city centre on the day of the game and that they are taken in on buses in the evening. Liverpool have been given 3,600 tickets for the match but some supporters are expected to travel independently to Italy. While affordability is an issue for many fans, others are concerned about potential reprisals from Juventus supporters. A rogue element has vowed to take revenge for the 1985 Heysel stadium disaster, when rioting led to a wall collapsing and the rests of 39 people. Every ticket that is acquired through official channels includes information reminding fans of where and where not to move in Turin. However, that is standard procedure for European matches and Liverpool havenât up to now taken any extra measures to step up security for the return leg. A spokesman for UEFA told that they are always concerned about safety and security for any game, so they always apply very strict rules in terms of ticketing and safety conditions in the stadium. UEFA are awaiting contact with the local police forces.

08.04: This is what the Liverpool fans think As E-Mails keeps coming in from hundreds of Liverpool fans it is becoming clear that the Liverpool fans realize that there could be many supporters looking for revenge in Turin. Liverpool is struggling to sell its ticket allocation for next week's Champions League quarter-final in Turin amid fans fears over their safety. Liverpool fans are being warned by police not to travel to Turin unless they have bought tickets from the club. As expected Juventus fans turned their backs when reconciliation efforts were made at Anfield. A long time Liverpool season ticket holder said that quite a number that usually go to European games are thinking twice about going over to the Juventus game next week. Part of it is down to experiences they had when they went over to Rome a few years ago, when there was a really nasty atmosphere, and that the Italian police still see Liverpool fans as hooligans. Many Liverpool fans don't blame the Juventus fans for turning their backs at Anfield. Liverpool supporters still fight for justice for Hillsborough, and a lot of Juventus supporters feel the same way about Heysel. The vast majority of Juventus supporters are willing to move on, but there are also many looking for revenge. Some Liverpool supporters believe that Juventus are the Liverpool fan's favourite team. And some admit that their own reaction in their place wouldn't have been any different. Many travelling to Turin have expressed that they will be more than happy just to get to the game and back again without any trouble. A chief of police in Liverpool has strongly encouraged all the travelling Liverpool fans to use the shuttle buses which will carry them directly from the town centre into the ground. Those travelling alone are more at risk of attack. They are always more vulnerable. It now seems that violence is almost inevitable. I hope that I'm wrong and if Juventus fans were able to control their emotions then it would speak even more highly of their dignified response to the Heysel disaster. Meanwhile many Juventus forums keeps receiving messages of violence from Juventus supporters. Messages like: "We have waited for revenge for 20 years", "No English supporters will leave the Delle Alpi alive" and "Prepare your knifes" have been posted on the various forums. The police in Turin are particlularly worried about what could happen in the city centre.

08.04: Cannavaro was impressed by the Kop Juventus defender Fabio Cannavaro believes Italian fans have a lot to learn from their English counterparts. Cannavaro told the press that he can understand the bitterness of some of the Juventus supporters because it is hard to forget about what happened at Heysel. But the English fans at Anfield behaved really well and correctly. The way in which they sang and supported their side until the very end was a spectacle. Cannavaro added that Liverpool is a model to follow for fans of every team in Italy, starting from the second leg in Turin. The stopper was one of the few positives during that 2-1 defeat as his header has kept Juventus in the Champions League tie. Cannavaro commented that Juventus can now look forward to the Liverpool game with a little more calm. It wonât be easy as Liverpool play with pace but anything can happen. Juventus have impressed in defence this term but were caught out twice in the space of 25 minutes by Liverpool in the first leg.

06.04: The Juventus fans will not forgive The real Juventus supporters had announced that they wouldn't make peace with the fans who end 39 of their own and they maintained their word. When Rush and Platini carried the memory and friendship banner over to the Juventus section, the supporters turned their back, showed their finger and song the Italian anthem. And when The Kop displayed their mosaic with "Amicizia" written over it, the Juventus supporters responded by singing the well known English animals song. Early on the day of the match a friendly was played between the Juventus Club London and the Liverpool fans. The stupid thing is that those who played for "Juventus" were supporters living in England and not the real supporters who follow the team every week. Two of the players weren't even Italian. The real Juventus supporters are furious at them for playing and I don't think that it is a good idea for them to present themselves in Turin, EVER AGAIN! They are considered to be huge traitors. As the Juventus supporters say: Some of us can forgive, but nobody of us will ever be friends with the fans that end 39 of our own. The idiotic and hated Juventus directors have planned that La Curva Nord will display the same Mosaic with "Amicizia" for the return game in Turin. La Curva Sud on the other hand is planning a whole other reception for the Liverpool supporters and thay have launched an appeal that nobody in La Curva Nord must contribute in displaying the "Amicizia" mosaic at the Delle Alpi stadium.