England will have to play their next home Uefa competition match behind closed doors as punishment for the disorder surrounding the Euro 2020 final at Wembley last summer.
The showpiece game between England and Italy on July 11 was marred by chaotic and ugly scenes before, during and after it, with some ticketless supporters forcing their way through security cordons and gaining entry to the stadium.
Tournament organisers Uefa opened disciplinary proceedings against the Football Association on August 3 and issued sanctions on Monday.
In addition to the one-match ban on supporters, a further one-game ban is suspended for a period of two years, UEFA said.
England’s next Uefa competition match will be in the Nations League next June. The English Football Association has also been fined €100,000 (around $116,000).
Uefa also said in a statement that the fine was also a result of “lack of order and discipline inside and around the stadium, for the invasion of the field of play, for throwing of objects and for the disturbances during the national anthems”.
The Metropolitan Police reported on July 14 that there had been 51 arrests connected to the final — 26 of those were arrested while policing events in Wembley, with 25 arrests following events in central London. Nineteen officers were injured during the course of the policing operation.
Wembley security cordons were breached by ticketless individuals, and disability access charity Level Playing Field said some of these individuals made their way into disabled viewing areas, creating a “frightening experience” for disabled supporters with legitimate tickets.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors said in her statement on July 14 that officers at Wembley observed early in the day a large number of individuals without tickets.
The Wembley disorder has been held up by the UK’s football policing lead, Chief Constable Mark Roberts of Cheshire Police, as an example of why rules around alcohol at football matches should not be relaxed.
Conservative MP Tracey Crouch is set to recommend a pilot in League Two and the National League allowing fans to drink in the stands or in their seat as part of her fan-led review.
Her recommendations are expected to be published this week.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
