Summary of In the Crowd
“In the Crowd” recounts the dramatic events of 29 May 1985, when football fans from Liverpool and Juventus came to Brussels for the European Cup Final. When a group of Liverpool supporters attacked Juventus fans, a wall in the Heysel Stadium collapsed, killing 39 spectators. Mauvignier tells the story of that tragic day through the perspectives of several individuals: French football enthusiasts Jeff and Tonino; Geoff and his brothers from England; newlyweds Ana and Francesco; and the young couple Virginie and Gabriel from Brussels.
Reasons to read In the CrowdÂ
This raw and deeply realistic novel about the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster won the Fnac Prize in 2006. Laurent Mauvignier is a renowned French author who has received several literary awards in France, including the Prix Goncourt in 2025 for “La maison vide” (not yet translated into English).
Setting: Brussels (Belgium)
Book set in Brussels (King Baudouin Stadium, then called Heysel Stadium)
Original title: Dans la foule
Year of publication: 2006
Nr of pages: 320
