Jordan Henderson admits his recent experiences with crowd and stadium problems made him think twice about taking his family to the World Cup in Qatar.
The 32-year-old was on the bench as England’s Euro 2020 final loss to Italy was overshadowed by unrest from supporters at the gates of Wembley Stadium.
He then captained Liverpool in their loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League final last season, a match which was delayed as spectators were unable to enter the Stade de France, leading to the local police to use tear gas and pepper spray on the fans and finally to an in-depth investigation commissioned by UEFA.
Henderson’s family were nearly caught up in the fury at Wembley as ticketless fans stormed security checkpoints.
“My family and friends have had a few experiences over the past couple of years that really shocked them and probably put them off playing future matches,” he said.
“I hope that will change in the near future as the tournament approaches. But when you see scenes like the Euro final, the Champions League final, they don’t really want to get back into this situation.
“My wife and kids had to try to get in through a side door (at Wembley) which they didn’t want to let in at first. And they were trapped.
“She was trying to keep the kids away from everything that was going on and eventually I think after about 15-20 minutes someone recognized that she was my wife and she was lucky that because they knew it was me, they let them in quickly.
“But if that person hadn’t, I mean, it could have been a problem. My dad was a bit involved, I think some players’ dads, like Harry Maguire’s, were badly hurt.
“I think we all know it wasn’t great, it was a bad experience for a lot of people that final. Then we have Paris, which is probably even worse.
“So I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to put themselves in this situation and to be fair there are two totally different reasons but again if it was me I wouldn’t want to put myself in this situation. situation.
“My dad said after the Champions League final it was over for him. But when you get closer to it, I think there are a lot of security elements and things that happen. in Qatar which I am sure will make people safer.
“But when you’ve had those experiences sometimes you think it’s worth the risk, but we’ll have to see closer to time.”
Henderson’s comments came on the back of England team-mate Eric Dier saying he would not allow his mum to travel and watch him in away games due to what he saw as an increase in bad behavior of fans.
But it’s not just messy fans who can create tension in and around stadiums, as Henderson and his Liverpool team-mates learned moments before their Champions League final in Paris.
“Some of my family got trapped which wasn’t ideal. A lot of player families, I think that’s everyone, ended up outside the stadium,” added Henderson .
“I think it was pretty awful. When I spoke to some of my friends, my family and my dad, it was pretty bad.
“I think in Paris in the final, I think if the fans weren’t respectful there could have been a lot more problems, to be fair, so I think the fans were amazing.
“It was the authorities and the people around the stadium who weren’t and causing trouble. But I guess as a fan, if you go to the game and you don’t feel comfortable and feel threatened by any situation, you won’t want to go back. And it really is as simple as that.
After initially being left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the upcoming Nations League double tie against Italy and Germany, Henderson has been called up after regaining his fitness following a hamstring injury.
He admits his involvement in the last camp before the World Cup was a factor, saying: “First and foremost, it’s to make sure I’m fit and available to play.
“There’s no point in coming here if I’m not in good shape. Once that was the case, of course, I want to be here for two big games against Italy and Germany, but also for the World Cup.
“To be honest, no matter which side it is, I always want to be part of the setup and luckily it worked out and hopefully I can get a good week of training and play some of the games.”
