However much construction and development goes on at the King Baudouin stadium, the venue will always be known as the original site of Hesyel where, on 29 May 1985, 39 spectators were killed as a direct consequence of so-called Liverpool supporters rioting before the European Cup final against Juventus.

Today, all that links the current stadium with that erected in 1930 is the original facade, designed by Jozef van Neck. As if to underline the break from the past, the first event staged at the new multi-purpose arena - complete with integrated shopping complex and extensive parking - was a Celine Dion concert.

If that sounds like an attempt to forget the unforgettable, to stand within Heysel a full four years after the Heysel disaster was to step into a time-warp. Not a single piece of evidence remained to indicate that the tragedy had occurred.

Not only was the stadium in its original, crumbling state, but even the wall that had given way under the rioters' stampede had been rebuilt in its original form. There was not even a plaque to commemorate the 39 lost lives.

Eventually the decision was taken to tear the place down and start from scratch. With the walls came down a significant chunk of Belgian and European footballing history.

The original stadium, situated in the northwest district of Heysel, was built as the centrepiece to Belgium's 100th anniversary independence (to The Netherlands, of all countries) celebrations.

The Stade du Centenaire, as it was known, saw its first football match when Belgium defeated The Netherlands 4-1 in September 1930, although it was used as a national stadium for an array of sporting events - cycling, athletics, gymnastics, hot air ballooning etc.

For football, Heysel soon became the venue for the Belgian Cup Final and the leading international venue. Before the events of 1985, it had successfully staged European Cup Finals in 1958, 1966 and 1974, and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1964, 1976 and 1980.

As with the Stade du Centaire, the King Baudouin stadium is a truly national one, with no home club.