Jordan Henderson admits his recent experiences of crowd and stadium issues have made him think twice about taking his family to the World Cup in Qatar.
The 32-year-old was on the bench when England’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy was overshadowed by fan riots outside Wembley Stadium.
He then captained Liverpool in their loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League final last season, a match that was delayed because spectators were unable to access the Stade de France, prompting local police to use tear gas and pepper spray against fans and ultimately to a full investigation commissioned by UEFA.
Henderson’s family almost got caught up in the furor at Wembley when ticketless fans stormed through security checks.
“My family and friends have had a couple of experiences over the last few years, which have really shocked them and probably put them off going to future games,” he said.
“Hopefully that will change in the near future as the tournament draws closer. But when you see scenes like you have in the European Championship final, in the Champions League final, then they really don’t want to put themselves in that situation again.
“My wife and children had to try to enter through a side door [at Wembley] They wouldn’t let them in at first. And they were trapped.
“She was trying to get the kids away from everything that was going on and finally, I think after about 15 to 20 minutes, someone recognized that she was my wife and she was lucky that because they knew it was me, they let him. . them in quickly.
“But if that person didn’t, I mean, it could have been a problem. My father was a bit involved, I think some of the players’ parents, like Harry Maguire’s, were seriously injured.
“I think we all know that it wasn’t great, that 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 that 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 that. situation.
“My dad said that, after the Champions League final, that was done. But as it gets closer, I think there are a lot of security elements and things that are going on in Qatar that I’m 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 take a closer look at the moment.”
Henderson’s comments came after his England team-mate Eric Dier said he would not allow his mother to travel and watch him at away games due to what he saw as an increase in misbehavior from fans. .
But it’s not just disorderly fans that can create tension in and around stadia, as Henderson and his Liverpool teammates learned moments before the Champions League final in Paris.
“Some members of my family got caught up in it, which was not ideal. A lot of the players’ families, I think all of them, were trapped outside the stadium,” Henderson added.
“I think it was pretty horrible. When I talked 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 be 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 were not there and were causing problems.
“But I guess as a fan, if you go to the game and you don’t feel comfortable and you feel threatened by any situation, you don’t want to go back. And it’s as simple as that really.”
Having initially been left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the upcoming Nations League double against Italy and Germany, Henderson was called up after returning to form following a hamstring injury.
He admits that participating in the last camp before the World Cup was a factor, saying: “First and foremost is making sure I’m fit and available to play.
“There is no point in coming here if I am not fit. Once that was the case, of course I want to be here for two big games against Italy and Germany, but yes, also for the World Cup.
“To be honest, no matter what camp it is, I always want to be a part of the setup and luckily it worked out and hopefully I can have a good week of training and play a part of the games.”
