Fans are banned from one England match as UEFA get tough after 5,000 thugs stormed the barriers at Wembley before Euro 2020 final while terrified spectators, police and stewards fled

 England have been ordered to play at least one match behind closed doors after the Football Association were hit with a stadium ban for the violence that marred the Euro 2020 final.

UEFA have ruled English football's governing body will face a two-game stadium ban, one of which Is suspended, and a 100,000 Euros fine for the chaotic scenes that ruined the European Championship final between England and Italy on July 11.

Sportsmail revealed last month that the FA requested a personal hearing to fight the prospect of a stadium ban amid fears that they would have to play at least one match behind-closed-doors - with those concerns now a reality.The FA had stressed to UEFA that European football's governing body were kept fully updated with the policing and security measures in place for the final between England and Italy in hope of minimising their punishment.

Nevertheless, UEFA were so disappointed with the disgraceful scenes in the lead up to the final that they have dished out a ban on supporters.

Today, the FA said it 'deeply regrets' that hooligans were able to enter the stadium and stressed that it continues to work with the authorities to bring them to account.

Following the final, the FA moved quickly to commission an independent review of the events surrounding the match, led by Baroness Casey.

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Football fans stormed through the security barriers at Wembley just moments ahead of England's nail-biting fight against Italy, leading to Covid checks being abandonedPolice imposed an unprecedented operation for the clash between England and Italy, but that wasn't enough to prevent the appalling behaviour of thousands of ticketless supporters.

The families of England players were forced to escape from yobs who infiltrated their way inside the stadium, while others were victims of attempted ticket thefts and lawless queues at various entrance points.

An estimated 250,000 fans were on the peripheries of the stadium ahead of kick-off, with thousands of revellers participating in anti-social behaviour - including drug taking and urinating in public.

UEFA said in a statement, it would 'order the English Football Association to play its next two UEFA competition matches as host association behind closed doors, the second of which is suspended for a probationary period of two years from the date of the present decision, for the lack of order and discipline inside and around the stadium'.

The affected game is likely to be a Nations League fixture in June. The draw for Nations League is December 16. England could play the likes of France, Spain, Italy or Belgium in front of no fans.And the European body added it would 'fine the English Football Association €100,000 for the 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'.

Under UEFA's rules, the FA are responsible for the behaviour of the England supporters. 

On the day of the final, which kicked off 8pm on a Sunday, huge crowds had gathered on Olympic Way, the approach to the stadium.

Fuelled by alcohol and dancing on broken glass that was thick across the pedestrianised street from Wembley Park underground station all the way to outskirts of the ground, some fans partied hard lighting flares, scaling lamp posts and sitting atop of any accessible roof.

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Fans gathered on Olympic Way outside Wembley ahead of the Euro 2020 final

Thousands decided to try their luck and illegally grab one of the 30,000 vacant seats at Wembley after the capacity for the game had been cut from 90,000 to 60,000 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Supporters were able to reach almost to the perimeter of the stadium without any ticket checks. At that point fans were required to show their Covid certification in order for tickets to be activated.

However, gangs of fans without tickets burst through the outer cordon and targeted turnstiles and security gates of the stadium itself. An estimated 5,000 yobs gained entry.

In the confrontations that broke out around the stadium, 19 police officers were injured and many fans were left terrified.

Even so, as reported by Sportsmail last week, a report from the Home Office on football-related crime suggests only 39 people were arrested in connection with the disorder.

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A mass of England fans outside the stadium pushed at the barriers ahead of the match

WORLD CUP BID UNDERMINED

The United Kingdom's joint World Cup 2030 bid with the Republic of Ireland is set to be rejected by UEFA, after the appalling scenes at Euro 2020 undermined support.

Sportsmail reported on Saturday that European football's governing body will try to encourage the UK and Ireland to focus instead on Euro 2028, which UEFA will support if the home nations agree to give up on the World Cup.

Sources in the Irish government and UEFA suggest a Spain-Portugal bid on behalf of Europe has the 'only realistic chance of winning at FIFA'.

The UK and Irish bid is undergoing a £2.8 million feasibility study.

In recent days, though, word has reached Ireland's Department of Sport that 'the UK and Ireland bid was effectively over before it began', with Spain and Portugal enjoying popular support at UEFA HQ.

A key reason for UEFA asking the home countries to back down is that many in the governing body do not believe the tender has any chance of gaining enough votes across Europe.

That is partly down to the appalling behaviour at the Euro 2020 final, when thousands of drunken fans broke into Wembley, stealing seats from ticket-paying supporters in awful scenes which were beamed around the world.

MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee are due to examine the UK's 2030 World Cup bid at a meeting on Tuesday.