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    Let us salute Gareth Southgate’s magnificent men, the greatest and most likeable England team in half a century

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    THE disappointment is hard to take.Our Three Lions heroes played their hearts out, but just couldn’t conquer the gritty, wily Italians.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
    Our heroes applaud fans after losing to Italy in the Euro 2020 finalCredit: Getty
    If the penalties were agony to watch, imagine taking one.
    But let us salute Gareth Southgate’s magnificent men, the greatest and most likeable England team in half a century.
    They made history reaching their first major final since 1966 and finishing Euros runners-up.
    With the World Cup just a year off, they can justifiably consider themselves contenders.
    Southgate’s transformation of this side merits every award coming to him.
    But his accomplishment surpasses football.
    For decades the political Left sneered at England and Englishness.
    They would wrap themselves in an EU flag, or celebrate patriotism anywhere else, but were repulsed by it here.
    It was a grotesque insult to millions who know England — for all its flaws — to be the most diverse, welcoming nation there is.
    Bukayo Saka (centre) applauds fansCredit: Getty
    Yet the poison spread. Many black and ethnic minority people were left reluctant to fly the St George flag.
    That has been turned round by the talented, diverse young squad Southgate assembled — role models suffused with his values and a passion for equality and social responsibility.

    During these Euros, communities of all creeds have cheered for England and, yes, wrapped themselves in the flag.
    As British Asian Hannah Kumari said: “I’ve never owned an England shirt. Something has changed. I feel like that team has given me permission.”
    That alone, Gareth, is an achievement beyond whatever redemption you felt you still needed for your own missed penalty 25 years ago.
    England fan heartbreak after Italy win Euro 2020 final More

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      We love you Denmark and respect your team but England are bringing home the bacon

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      THERE ain’t nothing like a Dane, as the song almost went.The Sun loves Denmark. We love its funny, party-mad people.
      ⚽ Follow ALL of the latest news and updates from Euro 2020 with our live blog
      We love you Denmark and respect your team but England are bringing home the baconCredit: Shutterstock
      A night for Kane to reign and put the Danes on the planeCredit: Getty
      We love Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. We love Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones. We love your Scarlett Johansson* (*dad’s from Copenhagen).
      We love Denmark’s Viking history. Its beauty. Its quaint, colourful houses.
      Its funny coins with holes in. Its Lego. Its bacon, its beer, its pastries, its Lurpak. And its bacon. Did we mention that?
      Generations of British kids have loved Hans Christian Andersen, the master Danish storyteller. But tomorrow night, ­Denmark, your fairytale ends.
      We have utmost respect for your team. The moving way they shielded Christian Eriksen after his collapse — then rallied to turn in some great performances.
      But enough now. You’ve had a good run. Tomorrow is England’s night.
      Denmark’s players line up before their match with WalesCredit: AFP
      A night for our heroes to become ­history-making superheroes.
      A night to step it up to a new level, even from the rout of the Germans and the trouncing of Ukraine.
      A night for Kane to reign and put the Danes on the plane. For us to boldly go where no English team has gone in 55 years of hurt: A major tournament final.
      And then, yes, to bring football home.
      We at The Sun wish England’s Lions — this fantastic outfit under a great manager — all the luck they deserve.
      You’ve got this, lads!
      Sun’s ad the last laugh!
      THE sneaky Danes tried to catch out The Sun with a surprise raid but unlike old English King Ethelred The Unready we were, um, ready.
      Danish red-top B.T. took out an advert in this newspaper which shows a horde of angry-looking Vikings in front of their white on red flag with the caption: “We’re coming home”.
      The sneaky Danes tried to catch out The Sun with a surprise raid
      Our advert using Danish bacon shaped as an England flag
      But their stunt spectacularly backfired as we launched a swift counter-strike and placed a full page advertisement in their paper.
      Our advert — using Danish bacon shaped as an England flag — says: “We’re having you for breakfast.”
      B.T. was glorifying the Viking raids which started in the late 8th Century and terrorised England for 300 years.
      Many English kings — including the hapless Ethelred who ruled from 978 to 1013 — were chastised for being unable to put a defence up against them.
      Meanwhile, The Sun’s soothsaying wonder pooch yesterday backed England to bring home the bacon.
      Cockapoo Willow has correctly predicted all but one of England’s matches.
      She munched on Bratwurst ahead of the 2-0 win over Germany and snacked on a chicken Kiev as we thumped Ukraine 4-0. And she’s been homing in on a rasher or two in Baildon, West Yorks, before tonight’s clash.
      The little English mermaid
      Denmark’s Little Mermaid reveals her true colours ahead of tomorrow’s Euros clash.
      The Copenhagen statue, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen, sits in our mocked-up picture ready to cheer on the Three (Sea) Lions.
      Denmark’s Little Mermaid reveals her true colours ahead of tomorrow’s Euros clash

      Denmark given heroic send-off by chanting crowd ahead of England clash in Euro 2020 More

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      in Soccer

      European Super League has united just about everyone in outraged condemnation

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      WE should perhaps congratulate the robber barons behind our “big six” clubs for concocting a scheme so appalling that, even in this divisive era, it has united just about everyone in outraged condemnation.Players, fans, Royals, ­politicians of all stripes. Even Boris Johnson and ­Jeremy Corbyn find themselves on the same side.
      Fans are not entirely powerlessCredit: AFP
      Who except the billionaires themselves think that a meaningless “super league” — wrecking the Champions League, the Prem and our lower ­leagues, not to mention those in Spain and Italy — is a good idea?
      Its premise is fatally flawed. But that may become clear only after the sport has been torn apart.
      It has been designed by greedy men without an ounce of feeling for the game, the history and importance of clubs to our communities, or the fans who have made ­football what it is over 100-plus years.
      Those lifelong supporters are disgustingly now dismissed as “legacy fans” — trash to be tossed aside in favour of a global audience expected to pay handsomely to watch this predictable, uncompetitive contrivance.
      As ex-Man Utd star Ander Herrera says, it’s “the rich stealing what the people created”.
      Furious fans protested outside the Prem’s ‘Big Six’ clubsCredit: Reuters
      Sky TV’s money transformed the game in the 1990s.
      But we have all since played with fire in allowing dubious tycoons to buy our clubs to use as cash machines.
      The insatiable greed of men branded “liars” and “snakes” by Uefa now threatens to prevail, at huge cost to us all.
      Fans are not entirely powerless. No, there is no point appealing to the owners’ better nature.
      And we fear their threat will not evaporate this time.

      But we can all still rage against it. The Sun will give voice to that. It is suggested the Government could axe UK work visas for every foreign star at the six clubs. Uefa aims to ban all their players from international football — a massive career blow to some.
      We still hope sanity prevails. But this is a battle the billionaires MUST lose. If they do, the Government must tackle rules over who owns our clubs — and their commitment to the sport and fans.
      Football is far more than a business. And millions of loyal supporters should be protected from corporate avarice.
      Leeds and Liverpool fans unite to protest European Super League More