Cups were thrown at England manager Gareth Southgate following a 0-0 draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024.
COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — After England’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024 on Tuesday, fans threw plastic beer cups at manager Gareth Southgate.
Southgate and his players had gone to applaud the fans at Cologne Stadium when the cups were thrown, despite England advancing to the round of 16 as the winners of Group C.
“I understand it. I’m not going to back away from it. The most important thing here is that the supporters stay with the team,” Southgate said. “I understand the narrative towards me, and that’s better than it being directed at the players. But it is creating an unusual environment to operate in. I’ve not seen any team qualify and receive similar treatment.”
On Monday, Southgate mentioned he was unaware of the harsh criticism from former England captain and current BBC presenter Gary Lineker. However, after the draw with Slovenia, he acknowledged the discontent among some fans.
“We’ve made England enjoyable again over the last six or seven years. I think it has been fun for the players. We’ve got to be very, very careful to keep it that way,” he said.
England had already secured advancement before the match with Slovenia, but winning Group C means they will play one of the third-placed qualifying teams in the round of 16 and avoid Spain, France, Germany, and Portugal in the draw.
