Euro 2020

THOUSANDS of Hungary fans set off flares and unveiled an anti-kneeling banner in the streets of Budapest ahead of their clash with France.The two nations will collide at Euro 2020 this afternoon but the home supporters could not wait until they were at the stadium to make their voices heard.
Hungary fans held an anti-kneeling banner ahead of their clash with FranceCredit: EPA
A huge cloud of red smoke from flares floats through the air in the streets of BudapestCredit: AP
Thousands of supporters came together to march towards the Puskas ArenaCredit: Reuters
A huge crowd descended on the streets in Budapest to march towards the Puskas Arena.
Those at the front were holding a banner protesting against players taking the knee in the anti-racist gesture at kick-off.
And the hordes behind them were chanting and singing as they walked through a cloud of smoke created by their flares.
It comes after the French squad abandoned plans to ‘take the knee’ before their Euro opener against Germany.
They stated that decision was due to fears that the gesture was ‘dividing more than uniting’. 
The World Cup holders, who have a squad stacked full of Premier League stars, had initially planned to go down on one knee before their 1-0 win in Munich.
But fierce arguments from both sides in the media in the build-up to the showdown led to them abandoning them.
Hungarian fans also booed recently when the Republic of Ireland took the knee in a friendly game in Budapest before the tournament.

A horde of fans strode through the capital before their clash with Les BleusCredit: EPA
They chanted and sang as they made their way towards the groundCredit: Reuters

Meanwhile, Uefa has been sent an official report on a homophobic banner at Tuesday’s Euro 2020 match between Hungary and Portugal.
Anti-discrimination group Fare, which monitors matches for incidents of racism and other forms of discrimination, filed a report to the governing body and have begun discussions with officials.
Several images were shared on social media showing fan banners inside the ground stating ‘Anti-LMBTQ’ – the Hungarian abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer.
Cristiano Ronaldo was also allegedly subjected to homophobic abuse during the game.
According to Record, sections of the 55,000-strong sell-out crowd inside the Puskas Arena attacked the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
The report states there were chants of ‘Cristiano Ronaldo, homosexual’.
Ronaldo was clearly unfazed by the crowd’s claimed attacks.
He responded by scoring twice as Portugal broke the Hungarian resistance with three late goals.

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Republic of Ireland players booed and jeered by Hungary fans as they took a knee before kick-off in Budapest More

PREMIER LEAGUE icon Cesc Fabregas is taking a break from Euro 2020 pundit duty with a luxury beach break in Mykonos. The former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder was pictured sunning himself alongside wife Daniella Semaan as well as riding a jet ski in the sea with his kids.
The couple got married in 2018Credit: BackGrid
Cesc Fabregas has been enjoying a luxury beach holiday in Mykonos with his familyCredit: BackGrid
The iconic Spanish midfielder is with his wife Daniella SemaanCredit: BackGrid
Lebanese born Semaan is 12 years Fabregas’ senior.
She is the mother of three of the Monaco midfielder’s children – Lea, Capri and Leonardo.
And the 46-year-old also has two children from a previous relationship with ex-husband Elie Taktouk, called Maria and Joseph.
Semaan was pictured soaking up the rays on the Greek island as her husband took two of the children for a ride on the jet ski.
The model took pictures of the trio before Fabregas returned to their sun loungers to grab some rays.
Mykonos has become a celeb holiday hot spot since Covid-19.
And it was where Manchester United ace Harry Maguire was arrested last August after a bust-up with Greek police.
Fabregas and Semaan began their love affair in 2011.

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Fabregas has been a BBC pundit for the Euros this summerCredit: BBC
Fabregas has been on pundit duty for the BBC this summerCredit: BackGrid
Semaan soaked up the sun while her husband and kids played in the seaCredit: BackGrid
Lebanese model Semaan took pictures of her family as they enjoyed the Greek islandCredit: BackGrid
The 46-year-old is 12 years older than her hubbyCredit: BackGrid

They first set eyes on each other in Japanese restaurant Nozomi in London’s super-wealthy Knightsbridge area.
She revealed how she approached his table to ask for an autograph for her football-mad son, Joseph. The pair soon swapped numbers.
But, according to her millionaire London-based businessman ex-husband Taktouk, she was still married at the time.
Earlier this month, Fabregas revealed N’Golo Kante’s dark side after watching him play for France.
And he also said he left Chelsea because of ‘smart and intelligent’ Jorginho.
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And the Spaniard took a well earned break as he messed around in the seaCredit: BackGrid
How the top pundits of the two channels stack up against each other
Denise Van Outen performs in Cabaret All Stars attended by Jamie and Rebekah Vardy More

CRISTIANO RONALDO can do plenty more than move Coca-Cola bottles, warned Germany boss Joachim Low.The Portuguese superstar, 36, created a worldwide storm this week by moving two Cokes away from the cameras in his press conference – instead telling people to ‘drink water’.
Cristiano Ronaldo moved the Coca-Cola bottles during his press conference which led to a crazy reaction from many
Joachim Low knows all about the threat he and the rest of Portugal’s attack possessesCredit: Getty
His stunt wiped a staggering £2.84bn off tournament sponsor Coca-Cola’s market value and led to similar antics from Manuel Locatelli among others at Euro 2020.
But Low knows rearranging fizzy drinks – which Uefa want to stop – is the least of his concerns ahead of facing the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
His German side host Portugal in Munich at 5pm today, four days after defeat to France.
A loss to the reigning champions and France avoiding defeat against Hungary would ensure Low’s 2014 World Cup winners cannot finish in the top two of Group F.
The German national team boss said: “Cristiano can do more than put away Coca-Cola bottles, he has more qualities.”
Ronaldo scored two of Portugal’s quickfire treble late on to beat Hungary last time out.
That double moved him on to 106 senior international goals, just three short of the all-time record held by Iran’s Ali Daei.
Low – who leaves his post as Germany boss after the tournament – added: “It’s not a one-man show, that’s clear.

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“Portugal have been at the top since four to five years. With winning the Euro title in 2016 they grew together, they’re a great team.
“Is it a one-man show? It was before… Cristiano Ronaldo the superstar of the Portuguese team.
“He was ‘the man’ but this has changed.
“They have more players of top quality: Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Diogo Jota and many more and they are involved in attack as much as Cristiano is.”
Germany boast an impressive record against Portugal and will be desperate to continue it at the Allianz Arena.
Die Mannschaft have not lost to them since Euro 2000 when Sergio Conceicao scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win.
And the Germans have won their last four meetings – each at major tournaments in 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2014.

Ronaldo will be looking to add to his 106 international goals when he goes back up against GermanyCredit: AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo removes Coke bottles at Portugal press conference and shouts ‘drink water’ More

HARRY KANE had another evening to forget as England drew 0-0 with Scotland at Wembley.The Three Lions talisman was hauled off on 74 minutes and replaced by Marcus Rashford as Gareth Southgate’s men failed to overcome the Auld Enemy.
Harry Kane has failed to stamp his authority on Euro 2020 so farCredit: Getty
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the obvious choice to replace Kane if Gareth Southgate rests him
Kane, 27, looked leggy as England only managed one shot on target.
He was widely criticised after the game but there were several high profile voices pointing to the lack of service the superstar received.
Whatever the root cause of Kane’s second lacklustre performance in the tournament, Three Lions fans will be looking for a more accomplished England showing with or without the Tottenham man.
And SunSport has explored three ways Southgate could line up against the Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday without the wantaway Spurs star.
Everton ace Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the obvious like for like replacement.
The Toffees hitman didn’t get on the pitch against the Scots and had to wait until the 92nd minute to come on against Croatia.
Marcus Rashford has also played up front for Manchester United in the past and the Southgate favourite could easily play through the middle of an attacking trio.
But the England boss could decide to shake things up completely and play a false-nine system with Phil Foden given a third chance to make an impact after two quiet showings.

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Marcus Rashford has played up front for Man Utd in the past and could replace Kane
Gareth Southgate could shake things up completely and play Phil Foden as a false-nine

Jordan Pickford and John Stones are likely the only two guaranteed to keep their spot in the starting XI.
Reece James and Luke Shaw were acceptable at wing-backs but didn’t offer much going forward which could see Ben Chilwell given a chance and either Kyle Walker or Kieran Trippier recalled.
Jack Grealish has surely done enough for a chance to prove himself from the start – especially considering the stuttering form of the players currently keeping him out the team.
Mason Mount is likely to keep his place but with the wealth of attacking options at Southgate’s disposal, the Chelsea man needs to deliver a big performance.
Jadon Sancho is yet to play a single minute at the tournament while Harry Maguire has declared himself fit so could return to the side in place of Tyrone Mings.
Although that would be harsh on the Aston Villa star with the side having kept two clean sheets with him in the team.
Roy Keane reckons Kane’s poor form is down to uncertainty over the wantaway Tottenham star’s future.
And Graeme Souness said: “The centre-backs had an easy night against him.
“Harry Kane looks a shadow of the player we know he is.
“In two games, he looks leggy, lacking enthusiasm…”
However, Souness did defend Kane, adding: “A centre-forward is 90 per cent relying on the passes he’s getting and he’s not getting a great deal from that midfield.
“I don’t care what anyone says, that ain’t working.”
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Give the ball to Harry Kane and the chances are he’ll get you a goal. If you don’t, he can’t.— Paul Coyte (@Coytey) June 18, 2021

Kane was barely involved against Scotland

Gareth Southgate reacts to England’s goalless Euro 2020 draw against Scotland More

THE mum of Scotland star Billy Gilmour admitted she was ‘bursting with pride’ after her son stole the show at Wembley.The 20 year-old was pitched in for his first ever start for Steve Clarke’s men against England.
Billy Gilmour was a star for Scotland against EnglandCredit: The Sun
And the Chelsea ace rose to the occasion as he put in a commanding performance in the middle of the pitch.
His Euro 2020 display drew plaudits from Clarke, skipper Andy Robertson and even tennis legend Andy Murray who tweeted that: “Billy Gilmour is my idol.”
The Tartan Army also sang the former Rangers youth prospect’s praises with many hailing it as a man-of-the-match performance.
But nobody was prouder than his family. And mum Carrie tweeted her feelings after an emotional night watching her boy in action.
Absolutely delighted for you tonight. So so so proud of you. My heart is bursting with pride. Love you so much 🥰🥰⚽️⚽️ https://t.co/oUtJ2sN4cz— Carrie Gilmour (@Cac80Carrie) June 18, 2021

She wrote: “Absolutely delighted for you tonight. So so so proud of you. My heart is bursting with pride. Love you so much.”
Liverpool stalwart Robertson was similarly positive after the match about Gilmour’s showing.
Asked how good he rated the youngster’s performance he told STV: “My god! Right up there.

“I spoke to him in the hotel earlier today. I just looked at him, you know, and to be fair to Billy nothing fazes him.
“That’s why I believe he can have as many caps as he wants for Scotland.
“He’s got a huge future ahead of him but the here and now is pretty good as well.
“Today him and Callum McGregor in the holding role were magnificent.”

MAN-BYS Scotland and England player ratings as ‘Scottish Xavi’ Billy Gilmour outshines big-name rivals

And SunSport columnist Michael Stewart was buzzing about the Chelsea man’s full debut.
He wrote: “Let’s just bask in a superb display from start to finish.
“And make no mistake, the emergence of an absolute superstar in Billy Gilmour.
“The Chelsea kid put in an absolute MASTERCLASS in the middle of the park.

“He never gave the ball away once, he never played a ball that wasn’t the perfect weight.
“And the thing I LOVE about him is he has exactly the same mentality as Kieran Tierney.
“That: ‘You will not beat me’ attitude. He was the best player on the pitch by a distance.
“Throwing in him in for a game like this was a big call by the manager, who deserves huge credit.”

Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page

Scotland fans celebrate their goalless draw against England More

ENGLAND fans have written off their Euro 2020 chances – with just THREE per cent backing them to go all the way. There was a wave of optimism around the country following the 1-0 win over Croatia last Sunday.
The Three Lions failed to get through the Scottish back line and had to settle for a pointCredit: Getty
England fans have lost optimism following the 0-0 draw with Scotland
More than 20 per cent of voters in a SunSport poll said they thought Gareth Southgate’s side would WIN the Euros.
A further 12 per cent thought England would be beaten finalists and 22 per cent went for semis.
Just six per cent voted for England to fail to get through the group stages.
But the mood has turned dramatically since the Three Lions failed to get past Scotland last night.
And a dramatic fall means now three per centstill believe England will lift the trophy on July 11, with two per cent saying they will lose the final.
On top of that, six per cent think they will fall at the semi-final stage and a whopping 33 per cent believe their tournament ends on Tuesday with their final group game.
England headed into last night’s game against the Auld enemy brimming with confidence.
But a lacklustre performance at Wembley saw the Scotland goal rarely threatened.

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John Stones directed his free header from close range against the post but at the other end the Scots looked more likely to score and had Jordan Pickford to thank for keeping it goalless.
Fans booed at the full-time whistle as the pressure mounts to progress.
Southgate said: “We know we didn’t hit the level we wanted to or needed to but we have to accept whatever comes our way. I totally understand that as the manager.
“What we need to do is make sure we get behind the players. The young players need the support of everybody.
“They’ll bounce back from it but they need everyone behind them.
“Our fans are entitled to react however they want. We’re disappointed with our own performance.”
The result, following Czech Republic’s 1-1 draw with Croatia, means England are second in Group D, level on four points with the Czechs but behind on goal difference.
Southgate’s side will go through if they draw against the Czechs on Tuesday or if Scotland do not win – and will finish top if they beat Czech Republic.

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They will only finish third if they lose and Scotland win by enough to overtake them on overall goal difference.
But finishing second in the group may not be too bad after all.
The Group D runner-up faces second place in Group E which includes Spain, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden in their last-16 tie.
Topping the group, though, would see England take on second place from the group of death – France, Portugal, Germany and Hungary – for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Gareth Southgate reacts to England’s goalless Euro 2020 draw against Scotland More

CHELSEA star Billy Gilmour extended his stunning run of being named man-of-the-match on his full competition debuts as Scotland drew 0-0 with England.The midfielder has claimed the award in his first full appearance in the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and now the Euros.
Billy Gilmour was named man-of-the-match during Scotland’s draw with EnglandCredit: Getty
Just as he did on his full Premier League debut for Chelsea
And the midfielder scooped the same award in his first full FA Cup showing for the Blues
Gilmour, 20, played 76 minutes at Wembley as his side earned a valuable point in Group D.
He was replaced by Southampton’s Stuart Armstrong but was widely praised for his performance after the game.
It was Gilmour’s first start for his country but it looked like he’d been a regular on the international scene for years.
His full Premier League debut was Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Everton at Stamford Bridge on March 8, 2020.
Five days earlier the Scot made his full FA Cup debut in the Blues’ 2-0 home win over Liverpool in the fifth round.
And he completed the hat-trick with a top showing as the West Londoners drew 1-1 against Krasnodar in the Champions League on December 8, 2020.
Many said Scotland deserved to win at Wembley although it was a pretty grim showing from both teams.
There were only three shots on target in the game – two for the Scots and one for England.
Royal Ascot special 🏇🎩

Billy Gilmour 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧His first appearance’s in- Premier League- FA Cup- Champions League- Euros Man Of The Match in all. 👏👏👏👏— Douglas Park (@douglaspark92) June 18, 2021

The Three Lions had 61 per cent possession but could not do anything with it.
Gilmour uploaded a picture of himself with his ‘star-of-the-match’ award after the Wembley showcase.
And he wrote: “What a performance by the boys tonight. Fans were unreal all night!”
The post received more than 57,000 likes.
Two-cap international Gilmour is said to be eyeing a loan move away from Chelsea next season to revive his club career.
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Scotland fans celebrate their goalless draw against England More

GARETH SOUTHGATE has pleaded with the country not to turn on his players after they were lucky to scrape a goalless draw against Scotland.The Wembley crowd jeered the team during the game as they created just one shot on target and booed at the final whistle to make their feelings known.
Gareth Southgate called on England fans to remain united in their support of the young teamCredit: Getty
Those inside Wembley made their feelings clear to the team at the full-time whistleCredit: Getty
Southgate admits his team stank the place out but urged expectant fans not to pile in on his young squad, who must now bounce back against Czech Republic on Tuesday to guarantee qualification from Group D.
The Three Lions boss said: “We know we didn’t hit the level we wanted to or needed to but we have to accept whatever comes our way. I totally understand that as the manager.
“What we need to do is make sure we get behind the players. The young players need the support of everybody.
“They’ll bounce back from it but they need everyone behind them.
“Our fans expect us to win and play well. It’s fine if the public want to be critical of me as a manager but my job is to protect the players.
“Our fans are entitled to react however they want. We’re disappointed with our own performance.
“We’re expected to beat Scotland, they’re frustrated by that and in the end we’ve got to learn from that and deal with that.”
Captain Harry Kane was hauled off for the second game running after an abject display in which he was completely dominated by Norwich’s Grant Hanley.

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Southgate skirted round questions on whether the Tottenham star’s transfer talk is affecting his form and said: “I think the whole team have got to look at the whole performance and our use of the ball and review where we can be better.
“That’s right across the board. It’s not about one person. Scotland marked him extremely well, with the back five there’s not a lot of space.”
Defender Luke Shaw leapt to the defence of the under-fire forward, who again looked a yard off the pace before being replaced by Marcus Rashford.

Shaw said: “Harry is not a concern at all. For me, personally, he is the best striker in the world. He is a very important part, maybe the most important part of the team.
“We are all behind Harry. Whether or not he has been at his best, he is a crucial player. His performances have not been as some people have expected but this happens in a tournament.

“You can score a goal at any moment and he is crucial on and off the pitch. He has all our backing.”
And teammate Declan Rice added: “Scotland nailed their gameplan and nullified Harry Kane, he is a world-class player and we need to get the ball to him to score.”
Scotland ace Billy Gilmour, named man of the match on his first senior start, said: “To come in and play against England in my first game, I’m so proud and to come here and do really well was even better.”
Scots boss Steve Clarke added: “We were unfairly criticised after the game on Monday. I know I have a good group of players and they showed that tonight, delighted for my players and staff.
“We had chances to win, England had moments as well, looking at this you wouldn’t have known which is the favourite which is a credit to us.”
Harry Kane has struggled to get going in the tournament so far with no shots on targetCredit: Getty
Young Scottish midfielder Billy Gilmour was named man of the match on his first senior Scotland startCredit: Getty
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