Topics: England, Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate, Kieran Trippier, Switzerland, Italy
The families of England players were caught in the crossfire as fans made their feelings about Gareth Southgate known.
The knockout stages of the 2024 European Championships begin on Saturday as Switzerland and Italy face off in the first round of 16 clash.
Despite disappointing performances throughout the group stage, England qualified for the next round, where they will face Slovakia.
The Three Lions sealed their place atop of Group C on Tuesday as they drew 0-0 with Slovenia in Cologne.
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However, after the match ended England fans were not happy with Gareth Southgate, with some throwing beers and shouting or gesturing abuse messages towards the manager.
And England defender Ezri Konsa has revealed that both his brother and the families of other players were caught up in the chaos, with some being drenched in beers.
He said: “We check on them. There’s kids in the stands with family so we always have to check on them, reassure them and ask if they’re all right.
“But it’s part of the game, it happens, and we try not to think about it too much.
“It wasn’t nice. But there’s a lot of players with a lot of experience who have experienced it before at club level.
“We know what to expect from fans. Sometimes it’s always up and down. It’s part of the game.”
The 26-year-old has been an unused substitute in all three of England’s group stage games but could prove vital in the upcoming matches after starting left-back Kieran Trippier was absent from full training on Thursday.
England will play Slovakia in their round of 16 fixture on Sunday at 5pm BST in the Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen.
And Konsa has acknowledged that they must improve if they are to progress to the quarterfinals, where they could play either Switzerland or Italy.
He added: “We know we can play better. We know that certain performances haven’t been our best level. But we always try and give it our best. We’re not going out to try and play badly on purpose.
“Sometimes in football it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t. But we’re ready for Sunday now. Our main focus is to get the win on Sunday and that’s it.”
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