Brussels bites back in Roi Badouin row

13 April 2006

BRUSSELS – Despite carrying out safety inspections of Brussels’ Roi Badouin stadium in 2000 prior to the organisation of Euro 2000, the Interior Ministry never called into question the safety of the No.1 stand.

This was despite the fact that subsequent checks were also carried out in 2001 and 2002 prior to the ministry’s negative assessment of the stadium in a January 2005 report.

The statement was made by Brussels City Council Sports Alderman Bertin Mampaka who remains at odds with a report from Interior Minister Patrick Dewael.

The report says the main stand, which has a capacity of 9,000, could only seat 3,840 due to the inadequacy of the evacuation procedures in place.

Mampaka has strongly criticised “the lightness of Dewael’s report” and Brussels Mayor Freddy Thielemans supported the alderman’s position on Thursday.

Speaking in a joint press conference on Thursday, Thielemans and Mampaka said: “Our legal service will examine the possibility of a recourse against the position taken by the Interior Ministry, which, if it does not better explain its position to Brussels City, will be claimed against for moral and financial damages”.

Thielemans further complained that the ministry’s decision would probably undermine all the efforts made by Brussels City Council to restore a positive sporting image of the capital, both to the public and international authorities, following the Heysel disaster in 1984.

Said Thielemans: “Do the ministers want the death of Belgian football? What will be the future for this stadium if there is no possible dialogue between the federal and communal institutions?”

Brussels argued that the construction of two additional side staircases, proposed on Wednesday by Dewael, would only restore the capacity of the stand to about 5,000.