ZURICH: UEFA president Michel Platini said Friday he is still haunted by memories of the Heysel Stadium disaster on the 30th anniversary of the tragedy during which 39 football fans died.
The former French midfield star was playing in the Juventus side against Liverpool on May 29 1985 in the European Cup final when the Brussels stadium became synonymous with tragedy.
Platini's second-half penalty sealed Juventus' 1-0 victory, but the result was completely over-shadowed by the disaster which resulted in British clubs banned from European competition.
Several Liverpool fans were eventually found guilty of manslaughter after the 39 mostly Juventus fans were killed and some 600 supporters injured after a wall collapsed.
"Thirty years ago, I played in a European Champion Clubs' Cup final at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels. And I continue to play in that final," the 59-year-old said in a statement.
"It hasn't left me, just like it hasn't left anyone else who was there that night.
"It remains with all those who lost a loved one, for whom everything changed in a few terrible minutes.
"Thirty years later, I am the president of UEFA and I am working every day with all my colleagues to ensure that we will never again experience the horror of such a night.
"We have been working unceasingly for the last 30 years to guarantee safety and security at sporting venues across Europe.
"My thoughts are with the 39 people who lost their lives, and, of course, with their friends and families.
"I can only express my deepest sympathy and reiterate that I am still doing everything in my power to prevent such a tragedy from happening again."
The head of European football's governing body UEFA is in Zurich to attend the 65th FIFA congress.
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