As is the case on most Saturdays, a football match will take place tomorrow at Liverpool’s Academy base on the outskirts of the city. This one, though, will not feature two teams of youngsters dreaming of forging a career in football – in some respects it will carry much more significance, and certainly more poignancy, than that. One side will represent the supporters of Liverpool, the other fans of Juventus. Given that it will take place on May 29, exactly 25 years to the day since the Heysel Stadium tragedy, it illustrates the lengths that some have gone to in an effort to heal the wounds that opened up on that terrible day. Earlier this week, Liverpool unveiled a plaque in honour of the 39 people who died at Heysel and today a service will take place in Turin with the same purpose. The clubs are doing their bit to commemorate the dead, as well they should, but there is something about the coming together of fans which feels even more significant than anything carrying an official stamp. A quarter of a century ago, the divisions between them were all too apparent and they were to prove deadly as a combination of hooliganism, a crumbling stadium and sub-standard organisation conspired to cut short the lives of 39 men, women and children aged from 11 to 58. Since the disaster occurred, blame has been apportioned, bad blood has festered, recriminations have continued and, in some cases, prison sentences have been meted out. The terrible events of that night in Brussels meant there could be no other outcome. There have been numerous attempts at reconciliation and not all have been well received, which is not particularly surprising given the weight of emotion that inevitably accompanies tragedy. In Turin, the painful memories of Heysel remain strong, something which will again be all too apparent at today’s memorial service to mark the passing of a quarter of a century. Time may have passed but the wounds are still to be totally healed. It is against this backdrop that the match at Liverpool’s Academy will take place and it has already had a positive effect with Andrea Loretini, who lost his 31-year-old son Roberto at Heysel, admitting to being touched by the coming together of supporters of both clubs in such a positive gesture. Serafino Ingardia, a Juventus fan living in Liverpool, was instrumental in the organisation of the game and he takes up the story. “I always felt something more should be done to try and clear the air between Liverpool and Juventus fans,” Ingardia said. “Having lived in Liverpool for over five years I have seen with my own eyes how Liverpool fans regret that tragic night and feel genuinely sorry for what shouldn’t have happened. Unfortunately, considering such a tragedy it is incredibly difficult to make a step closer. “We are just trying to get Reds and Bianconeri together 25 years after the Heysel. I play football with Liverpool fans every week, and have many good friends who are Reds. Dave Usher from the Liverpool Way fanzine website and I have long been discussing about an event which could send a positive message to both Juve and Liverpool fans, and we felt the 25th Anniversary would be a fitting time to do this. “I spoke directly to Andrea Lorentini, who is the son of a victim and the head of the Comitato Heysel. He told me that a friendly game would be welcomed by the families and that he is really touched that Liverpool and Juventus fans will be remembering the victims on this anniversary.” “This friendly game also received the backing of Francesco Caremani, author of the book “Le Verita sull’Heysel”. These 90 minutes of football won’t change history but will be an attempt to lower the anger and a sign to show that Liverpool and Juventus can grow closer little by little.”  “Serafino mentioned the idea of this game to me over a year ago, and I felt it was a great idea,” added Usher. “Rather than play it last year though, we decided it would be better to do it on the 25th anniversary. “There are still some problems between Liverpool and Juventus, and those problems will probably never completely go away sadly. Hopefully though relations between the two sets of fans will continue to improve, and if playing a game like this helps even in the tiniest way, then it’s a worthwhile excercise. “We just wanted to put on a united front in memory of those who died on that tragic night 25 years ago, and to show people in Italy that we haven’t forgotten. It’s also important to point out that Liverpool FC are fully supportive of this and offered to let us use the Academy to play the game. I’d like to thank Frank McParland and Dave Westhead in particular for their help with organising the game.”  Having been fatally divided by football 25 years ago, the mere fact that supporters of Liverpool and Juventus are now able to share a football pitch suggests relations are moving in the right direction. It is a fitting tribute to those who perished at Heysel and it is also symbolic of the true spirit of football and its fans, wherever they are from.