Euro 2020

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      Magical moment England players join fans in emotional rendition of Sweet Caroline

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      ENGLAND fans and players celebrated together after the Three Lions qualified for their first major international final since 1966.The players and staff joined in with a rendition of ‘Sweet Caroline’ in front of a raucous Wembley crowd.

      England fans roar inside Wembley after the Three Lions reached the final of Euro 2020
      Gareth Southgate celebrates after the final whistle
      Fans stood with arms aloft in the stands to cheer on their heroes after victory was secured at the end of extra time.
      The squad were all present on the touchline with those not playing, such as Jude Bellingham, hugging and praising the team-mates who played a part.
      And Gareth Southgate had his own special moment with the fans after the 2-1 win.
      The Wembley roar went up a decimal when the England boss fist-bumped the crowd in delight.
      There were similar scenes in Russia when England progressed to the semi-final after beating Sweden, but this time around Southgate and his side have gone one better by reaching the final.
      Southgate was even serenaded by supporters during his post-match press conference on ITV.
      The crowd sang ‘Southgate You’re The One’ at the England boss after he achieved a feat only one Englishman has before, Sir Alf Ramsey.

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      The England squad sing along to Sweet Caroline with the Wembley crowd
      Harry Kane leads from the front, just as he did during the match
      Bukayo Saka is held aloft by Tyrone Mings and Conor Coady

      Along with ‘Three Lions’, ‘Sweet Caroline’ has become the anthem of the tournament, with the crowd also singing the tune at Wembley after the win over Germany.
      Gary Neville and Ian Wright also sang along to Neil Diamond’s track as part of ITV’s coverage of the match.
      The ITV team even spoke about how much they love the song before kick-off, with Roy Keane telling a tale of a row he had with a woman at a Diamond concert.
      England fans believe after a memorable victory at Wembley
      Declan Rice and Phil Foden celebrate alongside coach Chris Powell

      There were scenes of pure elation across the country after England’s win
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      England make history and get through to the Euro 2020 final after beating Denmark More

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      England ratings: Walker and Shaw sensational as Three Lions beat Denmark to reach Euro 2020 final

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      ENGLAND are in the final of a major tournament for the first time since 1966 after edging out Denmark in a nail-biting semi-final.The Three Lions fell behind through Mikkel Damsgaard’s brilliant free-kick after 30 minutes.
      Harry Kane’s winner sends England wildCredit: The Sun
      Raheem Sterling forced an own goal to bring England levelCredit: Getty
      But they were level before half-time when Simon Kjaer put through his own net under the pressure of Raheem Sterling.
      The Manchester City star then played a key role in the winner with nothing to separate the two sides after 90 minutes.
      In the first period of extra-time, Sterling was bundled to the ground in the box and the referee controversially pointed to the spot.
      Harry Kane saw his initial kick saved before slamming home the rebound to set up a Euros 2020 final with European giants Italy on Sunday.
      Here’s how SunSport rated England’s heroes.
      Jordan Pickford – 4
      Early mistake seemed to rattle him. Mikkel Damsgaard’s free-kick was excellent but still beat him near the centre of his goal.
      Distribution was poor, sometimes dangerously so.
      Kyle Walker – 8
      England’s best defender on the night. Shut down an early Damsgaard break and nullified the threat of wing back Joakim Maehle all night.
      Strong, fast, and a much-needed calm head.
      John Stones – 7
      While Walker was all-action, his Man City team-mate was a low-key but reassuring presence.
      Kept Kasper Dolberg quiet apart from one second-half chance. Quietly classy.

      Harry Maguire – 8
      Held the middle well with Stones and was strong as an ox as England held on. Looked good surging forward and dangerous in the box, forcing a fine save from Schmeichel. Booked.

      Luke Shaw – 8
      Began with attacking intent but soon found himself with defensive work to do.
      Gave away needless free-kick from which Denmark scored. Like England, better in the second half.
      Luke Shaw enjoyed another fine evening at left-backCredit: AFP
      Declan Rice – 7
      Sound enough early on, then his passing and all-round play became slow.
      But his significant improvement after the break was key to England’s better performance. 
      Kalvin Phillips – 6
      Was often chasing shadows in the first half.
      No faulting his desire or energy, though, and his athleticism and energy helped England take control after the break.  
      Mason Mount – 6
      Worked hard as usual but was not an attacking factor often enough.
      Found Maguire’s head with his first decent free-kick and was another who was better after the break. 
      England celebrate a crucial equaliser before half timeCredit: Getty
      Harry Kane wheels away in celebration after requiring two bites of the cherry from the spotCredit: AFP
      Raheem Sterling – 8
      Fizzing with energy and England’s main first-half threat. Should have scored earlier, but forced the own goal.
      Initially quieter on right, yet still dangerous, as he proved by winning the penalty.
      Bukayo Saka – 7
      Nervous at first and hadn’t made much impression until he laid on the equaliser with a fine run and cross.
      Grew into the game and was looking more dangerous before going off.
      Harry Kane – 8
      Fed off scraps, but linked play and threaded balls behind Denmark defence, including peach to release Saka.
      Won free kicks galore. Unselfish display earned the luck of penalty rebound. 

       Subs
      JACK GREALISH (for Saka, 69) 6
      Took a little while to get to the speed of the game but looked a threat once he did.
      Stung Schmeichel’s hands in extra time but sacrificed to shore things up after Kane’s goal.
      PHIL FODEN (for Mount, 95) 7
      Immediately injected more guile and unpredictability into the England attack.
      His pace and skill kept Denmark honest at the back as they tried to find a way back into the game. 
      JORDAN HENDERSON (for Rice, 95) 7
      Brought some new midfield impetus with his fresh legs against a tiring Denmark side.
      Was in the ear of his team-mates and the referee, and kept things simple and precise to manage the game.
      KIERAN TRIPPIER (for Grealish, 106) 6
      Introduced to help see out the game with some of that La Liga-winning nous as Southgate switched to a back three.
      Did exactly what it said on the tin in another canny substitution.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      A laser pen is shined into Schmeichel’s eyes during Harry Kane’s penalty More

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      England vs Italy tickets: Can I still get tickets for the Euro 2020 final at Wembley?

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      ENGLAND will play in their first ever Euro 2020 final!Italy await for the Three Lions in front of what will be a partisan home crowd at Wembley.
      Wembley will host this year’s European Championship finalCredit: AP
      Here’s all you need to know about getting tickets to the Euro 2020 final.
      Can I buy Euro 2020 final tickets?
      Euro 2020 final tickets have now sold out.
      Should any extra tickets become available, they will be sold on the Uefa ticketing portal.
      Category 3 tickets are priced at £295 with Category 2 costing £595 and Category 1 £945.
      With tickets unavailable, there have been reports of black market prices of up to £6500 for the match.
      If you live in London, you can enter a free prize draw for two tickets to the Euro 2020 final by either booking a first vaccination dose or providing proof you have had one.
      Fans from Italy will not be able to see the match as anybody arriving to the UK from the country is required to quarantine for a minimum of seven days.
      However, the Italian FA have confirmed that an exemption will be made for a thousands supporters, who will travel from Italy in a bubble.

      How many fans are allowed at the Euro 2020 final?
      The Euro 2020 final will be played in front of more than 60,000 fans.
      That means Wembley will be filled to a 75 per cent capacity.
      Should the capacity being increased it is not known whether the tickets will be allocated to those who purchased them before the pandemic or whether they will be resold. More

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      England 1 Denmark 1 (2-1 aet): Brave Three Lions FINALLY break semi-final hoodoo and can now end 55 years of final hurt

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      WHEN the moment arrived, it felt as if 55 years of footballing pain and 16 months of pandemic frustrations had vanished in one explosion of joy.And, as they like to sing round Wembley way, good times never seemed so good.
      England booked their place int he Euro 2020 final with an extra-time win over DenmarkCredit: Getty
      England celebrated after Harry Kane smashed home the rebound from his missed penalty late in the first-half of extra-timeCredit: Getty
      Kane smashed home his rebound to give England the lead in extra timeCredit: Getty
      Kane celebrated his extra-time strike wildly as England put one foot in the finalCredit: Reuters
      England booked their place in their first major final in 55 years thanks to Kane’s winnerCredit: AP
      Gareth Southgate let out a roar at full-time with England reaching their first final since 1966Credit: The Sun
      England celebrated in front of 65,000 fans as they edged past Denmark after extra timeCredit: Getty
      The last time England reached a final, it was rolled out on Pathe newsreel, this time it was all over TikTok and Instagram.
      It has been one hell of a wait, so who cared that we’d had to wait a little longer for Harry Kane to score the extra-time winner from a rebound after his spot-kick was saved.
      We were used to Englishmen missing penalties at the sharp end of semi-finals but this time it didn’t matter a jot.
      Gareth Southgate’s men – who have busted so many ghosts over these past few weeks and over the past few years – exploded England’s semi-final hoodoo with a comeback victory on a night of extraordinary tension and magnificent old-school noise.
      It was like attending a rave, a festival, a mass meeting of a religious cult, all rolled in to one as the biggest Wembley crowd since lockdown urged England over the line and into their first ever European Championship final.
      England have lost four previous semi-finals since Sir Alf Ramsey’s men ruled the world but they will face Italy on Sunday night for what might just be the loudest and most fretful night of football this nation has ever seen.
      Italy, unbeaten in 33 games, will provide formidable opposition – even though Roberto Mancini’s side were outplayed for long spells of their high-class semi-final against Spain.
      But England, after a panicky opening half-hour which saw Mikkel Damsgaard’s free-kick put Denmark in front, were the better team and deserved winners.

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      Mings picked up Saka after the game amid jubilant scenes on the Wembley pitchCredit: PA
      A packed Wembley erupted in celebration as England booked their spot in the Euro 2020 finalCredit: AFP

      Mikkel Damsgaard gave Denmark the lead with a stunning free-kick – the first direct free-kick goal of the tournamentCredit: Getty
      Pickford could only get a fingertip on the free-kick as it flew into the back of the netCredit: Reuters

      Raheem Sterling forced the own-goal equaliser from Simon Kjaer and won the penalty for the winner in another brilliant, daring display.
      Harry Maguire was immense in central defence and but for Danish Kasper Schmeichel, they would have been home and hosed inside 90 minutes.
      The previous three and half weeks had been almost dreamlike for Southgate – no goals conceded, no injuries, no suspensions, no aggro, no dramas.
      Just a team who have grown into the tournament, as champions so often do.
      This was far more tense than anything before it – but there was no way, after all these years, that England were going to reach a final the easy way.
      Denmark’s progress, of course, had been nothing like as smooth.
      The trauma of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest on day two of this tournament had bonded the Danes and fuelled them with emotion.
      Yet they were a serious side anyway – the highest-ranked team England had faced in this tournament – and winners here in the Nations League in October.
      Schmeichel provided the pre-match bantz by taunting the English as to whether football had ever actually come home.

      Denmark celebrated their opener wildly as they took the lead at WembleyCredit: AFP
      Kjaer could only poke the ball past his own keeper with Sterling breathing down his neck following great play from Kane and SakaCredit: Getty
      Sterling and Saka celebrated after their hard work helped get England level at WembleyCredit: Getty
      A build-up wouldn’t be the same without someone suggesting English arrogance, even though Southgate and his squad are the most humble bunch of millionaires you could ever meet.
      It was Wembley’s largest crowd for more than 16 months and the place had never seemed louder before kick-off.
      The playlist of the summer – Three Lions, Atomic Kitten, Sweet Caroline and God Save The Queen – all belted out with gusto.
      Southgate brought back Bukayo Saka, in place of Jadon Sancho, with the rest of those who had stuffed Ukraine getting the nod again.
      England began with fire in their bellies but ants in their pants.
      Uncharacteristically, they were frantic going forward but also in defence.
      Down the left Sterling and Luke Shaw were bursting with energy and intent.
      But errors from Kalvin Phillips and Jordan Pickford almost proved expensive, Martin Braithwaite had a shot deflected wide and Damsgaard bent one just beyond the far post.
      The Danes were more assured, and deserved their opener.

      Kasper Schmeichel had made a smart reflex stop to keep Raheem Sterling out just seconds before England’s equaliserCredit: AP
      Kasper Schmeichel made a superb save to keep a Harry Magiure header out in the second-halfCredit: AP
      Mason Mount gave away one free-kick, Shaw conceded another while defending the first one, and Damsgaard took aim from 25 yards, bending his shot past Pickford.
      It was the first goal England had conceded in 11 and a half hours of football but it had been coming.
      But soon England’s front three came to the party.
      First Saka fed Kane who squared for Sterling only for Schmeichel to pull off a smart save.
      Within a minute, though, Kane dropped deep and released Saka who cut back for Sterling, with Danish skipper Simon Kjaer getting the final touch, into his own net.
      Wembley exploded but still, you felt, England needed to calm down, keep the ball and do the things that had got them here.
      After the break, Saka won a free-kick but Maguire was booked for attacking Mount’s dead-ball cross but catching Kjaer.
      Then another Mount free-kick from the right and soaring Maguire header forcing Schmeichel to plunge low and save at full stretch.

      Bukayo Saka was subbed off for Jack Grealish midway through the second halfCredit: AP
      Harry Kane thought he should have had a penalty in the second half but a free-kick was given the other wayCredit: Getty
      This was better from England, searching for openings, keeping the Danes pinned back.
      Then Southgate called for Jack Grealish, in place of Saka, and he soon won a threatening free-kick, Mount had a cross-shot turned away by Schmeichel, then Christian Norgaard appeared to trip Kane but there was no penalty.
      Even mild-mannered Mount was getting feisty, squaring up to Norgaard, as the atmosphere became increasingly tense – high stakes, huge anxiety, England pressing, Denmark clinging on.
      In the final action of normal time, a half-chance fell to Kane but the skipper couldn’t connect.
      In extra-time, Walker’s sweeping pass released Kane but Schmeichel saved well again.
      Then Sterling went on another darting run and was brought down by Joakim Maehle, Schmeichel kept out Kane’s spot-kick but the England skipper nicked the rebound and the place went ballistic.
      If you thought this was tense, wait for Sunday night.

      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      England fans celebrate goal at Euro 2020 semi-finals More

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      Why Denmark’s free-kick opener against England should have been DISALLOWED in Euro 2020 semis

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      THE referee missed Denmark sneakily moving their wall into an illegal position for the opener in Wednesday’s Euro 2020 semi-final.Mikkel Damsgaard hit the back of the net with a powerful free-kick after half an hour at Wembley.

      It appeared that Jordan Pickford had lost sight of the ball and was slow to try and save the shot, which was not fully in the corner of the goal.
      The England goalkeeper was likely obscured by the three-man Danish wall that moved into position moments before the shot.
      Referee Danny Makkelie checked to ensure the trio were well clear of the Three Lions’ wall before stepping back to commence the free-kick.
      And as Damsgaard stepped up, the Danish players moved across to stand next to England’s setup.
      Doing so is illegal according to Law 13 of the football rulebook – which stipulates that a defensive wall must be given a yard of space by attackers.
      It reads: “Where three or more defending team players form a ‘wall’, all attacking team players must remain at least 1 m (1 yd) from the ‘wall’ until the ball is in play.”
      Alas, Dutch ref Makkelie was not alone in spotting the incident and only a few social media viewers called the Danes out.
      Twitter user Tim posted: “The Denmark goal should have been disallowed. Last second, as the taker runs up, they moved their wall to within a metre of our wall and blocked Pickford’s view. That’s an offence under current rules.”

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      Mikkel Damsgaard’s free-kick was technically illegalCredit: Getty
      Denmark’s attackers encroached onto England’s wall before the kick was takenCredit: AP

      James dubbed it: “Wall-housery.”
      And KS tweeted: “Denmark were defo smart with their wall positioning, the actual freekick wasn’t even amazing.”
      But the goal standing turned out not to matter as England fought back to win and reach a major international final for the first time in 55 YEARS.
      Simon Kjaer scored an own goal just before half-time to get England level, with the game going to extra-time after some stunning saves by Kasper Schmeichel.
      But England finally scored the winner after Raheem Sterling was judged to have been brought down in the box.
      Harry Kane stepped up and though his poor penalty was saved by Schmeichel, the rebound fell kindly straight back into his path and Kane slotted home the winner.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      England fans celebrate goal at Euro 2020 semi-finals More

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      Does Euro 2020 have a third and fourth place playoff at Wembley?

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      THE Euros has reached its semi-final stage and two lucky teams will be back at Wembley for the final on July 11.But what happens to the two semi-final losers?
      England are into the Euro 2020 semi-finalCredit: Reuters
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      Does Euro 2020 have a third-fourth place playoff?
      Euro 2020 does NOT have a third place playoff.
      Whichever teams lose in the semi-final will be treated the same as those knocked out in any other rounds and head straight back home.
      Has the European Championship ever had a third-fourth place playoff?
      Yes. The European Championship started in 1960 and had a third-fourth place playoff right up to 1980.
      The last third-fourth place playoff saw Czechoslovakia beat Italy 9-8 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Rome.
      These matches typically suffered poor attendances and were therefore ultimately scrapped.
      Does the European Championship have a playoff in the group stages?
      No. The European Championship does not have a playoff in the group stages of the competition.
      And this is largely due to the procedures Uefa follow in order to rank teams as the group stages progress.
      All of the qualified 24 teams are split up into six groups of four, and the top two qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament.
      Four of the best 3rd placed teams will join them in the next stage as well.
      However, in the event of two or more teams finishing level on points, head-to-head record would decide who goes through.
      And if head-to-head cannot separate the two or more sides, goal difference will come into play.
      Should teams be level on points, goal difference, goals scored and games won, there still wouldn’t be a play-off.
      A penalty shootout would be used to separate two teams playing each other while fair play and coefficient ranking would separate two teams playing separate matches.
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      Italy back at Euro 2016 is a good example of how it works.
      The Azzurri finished level on points and goal difference with their continental neighbours, Belgium, in group E.
      But it was Italy who topped the group due to their 2-0 win over the Red Devils.
      Gareth Southgate fires up ambitious England not to be afraid of Euro 2020 glory More

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      Substitute Jack Grealish hauled off after just 36 minutes of being on for England against Denmark leaving fans confused

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      MANAGER Gareth Southgate took substitute Jack Grealish off during England’s Euro 2020 semi-final triumph against Denmark – just THIRTY-SIX minutes after bringing him on.The Aston Villa captain was hauled off with the Three Lions leading 2-1 in extra-time, much to the bemusement of England fans.
      Jack Grealish, 25, was unfortunate to be taken off during England’s victory against DenmarkCredit: AP
      Regardless of the result, bringing @JackGrealish off isn’t my idea of a good decision. He is the perfect player in this situation to keep the ball, win free kicks, run the clock down etc🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿— michael owen (@themichaelowen) July 7, 2021

      Grealish was brought on by Southgate in the 68th minute, with thousands of England fans cheering his introduction at Wembley.
      The playmaker gave the team a huge boost and when Harry Kane scored in the first half of extra-time, the manager decided to bring Grealish off.
      Southgate brought on Kieran Trippier and it proved a wise move as England held on to reach their first major final in 55 years.
      The Three Lions will also play in the European Championship final for the first time when they take on Italy on Sunday, July 11.
      Southgate’s decision was slammed on social media before the team’s triumph was confirmed.
      Ex-England striker Michael Owen tweeted: “Regardless of the result, bringing Jack Grealish off isn’t my idea of a good decision.
      “He is the perfect player in this situation to keep the ball, win free-kicks, run the clock down etc.”

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      Gareth Southgate is yet to beat Denmark as England manager

      While a fan wrote: “Southgate is so disrespectful to Grealish, the way he’s using him.
      “Not just today but all tournament, 36 minutes of football is a joke.”
      But others respected the manager’s decision, with one supporter tweeting: “You have to admire Southgate for making the call.”
      Regardless of what others think, Grealish is unlikely to care after England’s historic success at Wembley.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      England make history and get through to the Euro 2020 final after beating Denmark More

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      England fans fuming at ITV Hub again as delays hit Euro 2020 semi-final victory over Denmark

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      FANS blasted ITV’s ‘crash crash crash’ coverage of England’s tense Euro 2020 semi-final win over Denmark.Armchair critics fumed at delays, poor pictures and technical problems online before and during the 2-1 Wembley triumph after extra time – following similar issues earlier in the tournament.
      Harry Maguire sees his header saved by Kasper Schmeichel – but some online viewers had a less clear vision during England’s triumphCredit: Getty

      One supporter labelled it the “crash crash crash” service while others insisted ITV should lose its right to show Euros’ matches.
      And as social media voiced its frustration, this tweet summed up that view: “They are awful and shouldn’t be allowed to show any games.
      “Lagging by 1 minute. May as well just listen to the radio.”
      Another said: “I think this tournament has taught us ITV should never be allowed near football ever again.”
      The ITV Hub came under even fiercer criticism from supporters during France’s epic victory over Switzerland.
      Pictures froze at a third-minute corner before viewers missed Hans Seferovic’s shock opener for the Swiss before their eventual shootout triumph.
      This time it was England followers who were increasingly agitated.

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      And when pre-match problem continued after kick-off, one fan posted: “ITV hub keeps crashing and I have to watch adverts every time I reload it, didn’t have these problems with iPlayer.”
      And backing that up was this tweet: “Their App is useless stuck showing adverts.”
      But all those complaints faded as Harry Kane sealed a comeback route to Sunday’s final with Italy, tucking home a rebound winner after Kasper Schmeichel parried the skipper’s own penalty.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      England take the knee and Denmark applaud before Euro 2020 semi-final More