That brings us to the end of today’s blog. Thanks for your company and comments – ta-ra.
I wonder what changes, if any, Southgate will make for the Qatar World Cup. I’m not sure he’ll be able to leave Bellingham out for much longer, nor do I think Foden will be someone to be brought in and out, and Mason Greenwood will also be in the mix. The test will be finding the blend, and whether, 18 months on, the team will be deemed to have matured so sent out to dominate big games.
“Re your comment on Southgate’s reticence to use the attacking talent at his disposal,” says Mike MacKenzie, “I quite agree. It seemed to me that over the whole tournament, Mancini got many more of his players involved to some extent, than Southgate did. No doubt there are stats to show if that is correct or not. Some of that was due to injuries with Chiellini missing a game and a half and Spinazzola lost in the quarter-final. Still, Mancini wasn’t as committed to some of his stars as Southgate was. A manager has to be harsh at times to change what’s not working whether it’s players or tactics.”
Yes, he did well to stick by Sterling at the start, though he was out of form, but when things are going wrong on the pitch, hoping they’ll suddenly change doesn’t seem like a decent plan. If you’ve not got options, fair enough, but England were second-best, more or less, for an hour of the 90 minutes and the full 30 of extra-time but players as brilliant as Rashford and Sancho were still sat at the side.
Updated
ITV pre-match, BBC match where I was. In general, the standard of studio analysis is pretty good on both channels, but we no longer have commentators as good as John Motson, Barry Davies and Brian Moore. That said, I’ve no idea why Clive Tyldesley, Peter Drury and Steve Wilson aren’t given the biggest games.
A prime minster who has done more than any other person in Britain to enable division and stupidity, has sent a message condemning division and stupidity. A home secretary who employs cynical and divisive rhetoric is ‘disgusted’ to find people have taken her seriously.”
This and more from Barney Ronay, here:
I don’t know, Wembley has been known as an easy jib for over a decade – when Man United played Barcelona in the 2011 Champions League final, people were getting in all over the show with some even coming through the ceiling. I’ve no idea why the necessary steps weren’t taken to stop this from happening.
The FA have issued a statement following last night’s events:
“We will carry out a full review and investigation into the events that took place at Wembley Stadium before and during the UEFA EURO 2020 Final. This will be done in collaboration with the Police, the Greater London Authority, the Safety Advisory Group and the tournament delivery stakeholders.
Security and stewarding numbers for the UEFA EURO 2020 Final exceeded the requirements for the match and were greater than any other previous event at Wembley Stadium. However, the behaviour of the people who illegally forced their way into the stadium was unacceptable, dangerous and showed total disregard for the safety and security protocols in place. No steward or security staff should be subjected to this type of behaviour and we thank them for their support on the night. We also apologise to anyone at the match whose experience was affected by this unprecedented level of public disorder.
We will continue to work with the relevant authorities to identify and take action against these people where possible.”
Football is brilliant.
— MUNDIAL (@MundialMag) July 12, 2021
pic.twitter.com/o6okibOef8
Earlier in the day, I recommended Ibram X Kendi’s book, How to Be an Antiracist. Another that’s worth your time is Robert Livingston’s The Conversation.
For those who read it at the time, this is worth revisiting. For those who didn’t, it’s essential reading.
“Wonderful to see Attilo Lombardo looking much younger than he did 15 years ago when he was playing, astonishingly enough, for Crystal Palace,’ says Charles Antaki. “He looked about 75 even then, so this is a rejuvenation.”
Another thought on Southgate: a ridiculous array of attacking talent is much less useful if there are players you won’t take off. Kane was great in the first half last night but anonymous thereafter, yet stayed on, likewise Sterling. I can’t grasp why, if he wasn’t in the first five penalty-takers, he wasn’t withdrawn for Rashford a bit earlier, to let someone fresh and good see what he cojld do at the same time as feeling involved in the game.
Hi again, Daniel Harris taking over from Simon.
Go on then, do your worst.
Here’s Simon Jenkins on Boris Johnson’s Euro bandwagon-jumping:
International football is identity politics reduced to absurdity. Driven to hysteria by advertising-led media, it is supposed to generate a sense of national euphoria. Success offers a psychological “high”, rendered more exhilarating by the equally hysterical depths of depression in the event of defeat. Like eulogising the NHS or the royal family, such public emotions are presumed to have a bonding effect that should not be decried, not least in a country wrestling with a pandemic.
Yet nor can the corresponding divisiveness be ignored. The xenophobia, the booing of teams and foreign anthems at last week’s final matches were followed by racist attacks on three unfortunate penalty takers, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka. Football feeds the anonymised mob rule of social media. It is no good dismissing this as deplorable. It is part and parcel of sports hysteria. Will the one, and you pay for it with the other.
Much more here:
Please try to control your stupefaction, but I bring news that Boris Johnson and Priti Patel appear to have taken a hypocritical stance on racism in football. That at least is the allegation, after they condemned the abuse of black England players having previously refused to criticise fans who booed the team for taking the knee. Here’s a news story:
And here’s the Tory peer Baroness Warsi’s response to Patel’s “disgust” at the “vile racist abuse” players had received:
Priti -we as govt, as @Conservatives need to think about our role in feeding this culture in our country
— Sayeeda Warsi (@SayeedaWarsi) July 12, 2021
If we “whistle” & the”dog” reacts we cant be shocked if it barks &bites
It’s time to stop the culture wars that are feeding division
Dog whistles win votes but destroy nations https://t.co/wXwKKJH2eP
Here’s the view from Manchester on England’s defeat and the fallout:
I just find [the racism] really upsetting and really depressing. Especially toward Marcus Rashford, who is from Manchester and is an amazing young man who we should be incredibly proud of. It’s a disgrace, but I am very proud of [the players].
Thanks Daniel. Michael Regan took some snaps of the Italy team celebrating with the European Championship trophy … and they’re good. A sample selection here for you:
Updated
Right, I’m off for a break – Gregg Bakowski will be with you for the next hour.
#Ita's Leonardo Bonucci: 'We heard it day in and day out that the trophy would be coming home to London. Sorry for them, but actually the cup will be taking a nice flight to Rome' pic.twitter.com/LDDgZDYJxs
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) July 12, 2021
Bonucci could learn plenty from those players.
Updated
It’s a funny thing, really – England aren’t my team, but I support these players absolutely and unreservedly. What an incredible group.
We win together and we lose together. So proud to have teammates with such top character. Takes huge bollocks just to volunteer. As for the racism, hurtful but not surprising. Will never get bored of saying that more needs to be done. Educate and control the platforms!✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/LHSBoZin8O
— Jude Bellingham (@BellinghamJude) July 12, 2021
I was racially abused last night as I was entering Wembley stadium. My shirt has Rubinstein on the back. I took my coat off & immediately: “Are you even from this country” & “he’s a Jew” followed by laughs & jeers by a group of 6 men in their 50’s.
— Jolyon Rubinstein (@JolyonRubs) July 12, 2021
Unfortunately I’m as unsurprised to read this as I was to read about all the rest of it. The last time I went to Wembley in the England end was when they played Romania in 1994, when the sieg heiling in the crowd made clear that, as a Jew and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, this wasn’t for me. I know it’s a minority and also that things have improved since then, but we also need to be honest about the society in which we live. We’ve got a lot of work to do.
Well said.
Last night, we saw Bukayo Saka reach the Euro 2020 final at the age of 19 years old.
Bukayo has been with us since he was seven and the whole club couldn’t have been prouder to see him represent England throughout the tournament. You could feel it right across the club.
Last night we witnessed the leadership and character we’ve always known and loved in Bukayo. However, this feeling of pride quickly turned to sorrow at the racist comments our young player was subjected to on his social media platforms after the final whistle.
Once again, we are sad to have to say we condemn the racism of a number of black players. This cannot continue and the social media platforms and authorities must act to ensure this disgusting abuse to which our players are subjected on a daily basis stops now.
We have processes in place internally at Arsenal to ensure our players are supported both emotionally and practically on this issue but sadly there is only so much we can do.
Our message to Bukayo is: hold your head high, we are so very proud of you and we cannot wait to welcome you back home to Arsenal soon.”
We couldn't be any prouder of Bukayo.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 12, 2021
But once again, we are sad to have to say we condemn the racism of a number black players.
The undisputed star of the euros, and every other competition featuring Italy or Italians. Bom-baba-bom-ba-bom-ba-bom bom bom!
Relatedly and tangentially, I was lucky enough to interview Burnham recentlyish. Nominally, the pod was about the 1995 FA Cup final, but we also discussed wider issues of identity, governance and racism.
Updated
🗣️ "It is a despicable, shameful act. And 99.9% of people will be utterly appalled by it and want the strongest action taken"
— Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham (@MayorofGM) July 12, 2021
Andy has commented on the defacing of the Marcus Rashford mural in Withington and the racist abuse on social media of some England footballers.
Watch 👇 pic.twitter.com/CaDZHlGNCK
The lad with the Euro 2020 champions tatt has just been interviewed on Sky. “Just one of them things int it,” was his summation of the situation. If only everyone could accept defeat with such mature equanimity.
A statement from @FootballAUS. pic.twitter.com/dCTxKrOP5i
— Football Australia (@FootballAUS) July 12, 2021
Updated
This, from the Copa América final, is also a belter.
Of course there’s someone who’s got themselves an England Euro 2020 champions tatt, of course there is. I don’t have pictures, but I did find this:
I must add, though, that overall Southgate has done and is doing a good job. Aside from the statesmanlike stuff, England must be absolutely brutal to play against given the strong, fast players they have all over the pitch, and the team clearly believe they can win. But I also hope Southgate is learning from his defeats, most specifically that if you go out to win matches by the odd goal, chances are something will eventually go wrong.
I’m probably not alone in thinking that if Mancini is England manager, they win last night. He’s done an incredible job – I’m surprised Spurs didn’t approach him actually – and sent his team out to attack in every game.
Helen Pidd, our North of England editor, gets in touch to flag this:
There's a solidarity meet up at the mural in support of @MarcusRashford tomorrow at 6.30pm ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿💗
— Hulme Labour. (@LabourHulme) July 12, 2021
I mean!
“A couple of incidents from the game stuck out for me that I thought warranted mention,” says Ben Blatch-Hanlon. “Firstly, I’m a little surprised (okay not all that surprised) that Jorginho didn’t see red for his tackle on Grealish that ended with him stamping on Grealish’s knee area. Yes it was unintentional and he won the ball first, but he did go over the ball after the initial contact on the ball and we’ve seen red cards for those sorts of reckless tackles throughout this tournament (see Ampadu for Wales and Danielson for Sweden, the latter of whom won the ball more cleanly than Jorginho before catching his opponent). I don’t think it would’ve affected the result but for me that was worse than a yellow.
Secondly (and, you’ll be glad to read, lastly), it comes up every now and then but I thought the Chiellini pull on Saka’s collar to haul him back after he’d been beaten raised the issue of the ‘orange card’ for offences which seem to be worse than yellows but aren’t quite red, and maybe involve some sort of ‘sin bin’ like in rugby. Saka was in behind down the right but the fact that there were covering defenders meant that Chiellini was free to just yank him back by the neck of his shirt knowing he’d just get a booking for a blatant professional foul, a price well worth paying to prevent a dangerous break, especially so near the end of the game.
I don’t think either of these would’ve affected the result so don’t want anyone to accuse me of bitterness, just thought these points might be worthy of debate!”
The first thing to say is that the officiating was superb all the way through the tournament. I think a lot of this was because the refs were lenient, letting the game flow and only showing cards if they had to, and I think the matches were much better as a consequence. I’d always want players to be kept on if at all possible so I don’t think Jorginho needed to go, though I guess I’d have understood if he did, and I think Chiellini’s foul, though cynical, was a bog standard yellow, it just looked gratuitous, which it was. Some might say
that sunshine follows thunder
beautifully so.
Both against Croatia in 2018 and last night, Southgate didn’t adjust well when the game changed, and it’s hard to know what he hoped to achieve when bringing on Henderson and Saka. If he’d wanted to control the game, he’d have gone with Bellingham or Grealish for the former and Sancho for the latter, but he seemed content to sit in and hope for a counter, a set-piece, or a moment. England have good enough players to be more aggressive than that that.
I’m not criticising Southgate for wanting to balance his team – I’d probably have played Bellingham not Phillips but I understand why he didn’t – but I don’t think sacrificing an attacker for a defender is necessary against the best teams, nor that it makes sense to sit on a one-goal lead for an hour.
England, then. I couldn’t help but feel like Gareth Southgate got away with it against Germany and Denmark, both of whom were teams England ought to have beaten more comprehensively than they did – I’m sure there’s a better team in this squad than the one he found. Southgate is naturally conservative and I’m sure he’s been influenced by the job he’s had – he manages England like they’re a mid-table outfit trying to scrounge a result against better teams, when actually he’s got one of the deepest pools of attacking talent ever assembled. Paradoxically, that means the conservative option is to go forward and dominate.
Who could ever have imagined that Italy would find a worthy heir to Gianluigi Buffon this quickly? Donnarumma used to keep posters of his predecessor up on the walls of his bedroom as a kid growing up in Pompeii. They even share a first name, though the younger man goes by “Gigio” instead of “Gigi”.
He is under no illusions about matching his idol. Buffon made a record-setting 176 appearances for Italy and won a World Cup. “No, he is the strongest of all, the number one,” said Donnarumma when asked whether there could be any comparison. “He remains the greatest of all.”
Lots more of that, here:
Hi again and thanks Simon.
It’s time for me to hand the baton back to Daniel Harris. Bye again!
If you, like me, have no idea what a nation celebrating major tournament football success looks like, here’s help:
“Further to Andy Hunter’s comments about the Italian anthem singing last night, it was noticeable how much more rousing the Italian anthem was than God Save The Queen.,” writes Bill Muskett. “Also, that was introduced as the national anthem of England. Maybe it’s time we had a separate anthem for England games in the way the Wales and Scotland do.”
An age-old discussion, one that rolls around every time there’s an international football competition. Personally I find the British anthem not just dreary but lyrically repugnant, but then I’m both an atheist and not a big fan of hereditary power and privilege.
This just in from Rome:
Within moments of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s decisive save, the screams of tens of thousands of fans exploded across Italian towns and cities. The celebrations continued long into the night, with many Italians missing a night’s sleep amid the sound of fireworks, smoke bombs, chanting and tooting car horns.
In Rome, euphoric fans gathered next to the Colosseum and other key monuments, waving the Italian flag, dancing and singing songs including Notti Magiche (Magic Nights) by Gianna Nannini and Edoardo Bennato.
“Although the very first thing I did was post a message on Facebook: Brexit,” joked Cristal Gerardi. “I felt so discouraged when England scored so soon into the start of the game, but then Italy woke up in the second half.”
Much more here:
And if you’re thinking, what is this Notti Magiche and where can I hear it:
The tune was written by Giorgio Moroder for the 1990 World Cup, and recorded in several languages. Let’s be frank, it wasn’t one of his best. Here’s the English version, featuring on vocals Joe Milner and his absolutely magnificent hair:
Harry Kane has just posted this:
Last night hurts. It’ll hurt for a long time. But we’ve come so far and broken down so many barriers that this is not the end. We win together, lose together and will regroup together for the World Cup. Thanks for all your support this summer. pic.twitter.com/kUfW3zq2mn
— Harry Kane (@HKane) July 12, 2021
Andy Hunter emails with an interesting point of information about Italy’s anthem-singing. “When Italy’s starting XI lined up for the national anthem, all their substitutes did the same standing directly opposite them - linking arms the same way etc,” he says. “They were singing it to each other, showing they were all in it together, and when it finished all the subs were on the pitch punching the air and roaring their team-mates on. Very powerful, and showed a very united squad.”
Here they are getting ready for their sing-song:
Ben Lyttleton, who wrote a book about penalties called Twelve Yards, has written a good blogpost on last night’s shootout. You can find it here. Here’s a moment he particularly enjoyed:
Can't get enough Pickford telling himself "no problem" out loud before a must-save penalty that he then pulls off. pic.twitter.com/NuahmKYGIY
— Marlon Solomon (@supergutman) July 12, 2021
Nick Ames has written a piece about the England team and its future:
England slipped from their horse at the last but, once they have cleared the grit from their eyes and stopped seeing stars, they may yet find it has waited for them. While the wounds of defeat in Wembley’s biggest game for more than half a decade will smart acutely, there is little time for them to fester; in 17 months there will probably be another knife-edge denouement to digest and the task for Gareth Southgate, as the international calendar rattles along at uncommon speed, will be to ensure it is somewhat happier.
If Gianluigi Donnarumma’s parry from Bukayo Saka felt like the end of a journey, there may come an opportunity to present it as the continuation of one: perhaps a trampolining point from one World Cup to another. The coronavirus-addled schedule has crammed two major tournaments closer together than ever and thoughts must turn immediately to how England can draw on their better work, while smoothing out their flaws, before Qatar 2022 begins next November.
Much more here:
Twitter has released this statement about online racism:
The abhorrent racist abuse directed at England players last night has absolutely no place on Twitter. In the past 24 hours, through a combination of machine learning based automation and human review, we have swiftly removed over 1000 Tweets and permanently suspended a number of accounts for violating our rules - the vast majority of which we detected ourselves proactively using technology. We will continue to take action when we identify any Tweets or accounts that violate our policies.
While here’s Conservative Party MP Damian Collins on Twitter claiming success over online racism:
How can @TwitterUK be effectively enforcing its policy on hate speech when so much racist abuse directed at England footballers was allowed to spread on the platform. How many accounts have been deleted for this since last night? The Online Safety Bill will hold them to account pic.twitter.com/r6zvBXHdzj
— Damian Collins (@DamianCollins) July 12, 2021
Updated
Police are investigating the vandalism of the Marcus Rashford mural in Withington.
Chief Superintendent Paul Savill, of GMP’s City of Manchester division, said: “This is disgraceful behaviour and will absolutely not be tolerated.
“Greater Manchester prides itself on being made up from a number of diverse communities and hate crime in any form is completely unacceptable and not welcome here in our city.
“GMP takes crimes of this nature very seriously and an investigation has been launched. If anyone has any information that could help us to identify this offender please do not hesitate to speak to police.”
Right, Simon Burnton is back with you – I’ll see you again in a little bit.
“Thanks very much for directly addressing the racism that soils our national sport,” emails Ben Lake. “Obviously it is very easy to want to focus on the positives of this tournament (and there were a lot of positives after the absolute dirge of many decades prior to 2018) but the football community is far too eager to sweep this under the rug.
To continue from the Ethics of the Fathers’s quotation, I implore everyone today to not try and dismiss or belittle this issue. Here are some of the regularly occurring mental escape hatches I want everyone to avoid:
- Don’t try and equate England’s racism with another country’s racism.
-Don’t try and link any comment to the quality of performance. Saying X player didn’t play that well but he didn’t deserve abuse” doesn’t sodding help. The quality of play should have no bearing on whether you are racially abused or not.
- Don’t you dare suggest that somehow these racists are not ‘real’ football fans. That’s just an attempt to other the problem rather than owning it and confronting it.
- Dear Lord, don’t worry that some white people might get tarred with a generalisation, I think they’ll be fine.
- Listen to what those people of colour are actually saying, help raise their voices up and if you are not directly affected by racism, don’t make this about you.”
#Ita return to Rome with the #Euro2020 trophy pic.twitter.com/Nk1Zpk1Lwf
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) July 12, 2021
On this point, it’s also significant that when it comes to players - though not when it comes to managers, coaches and suits – football is meritocratic. Consequently, people of colour are not discriminated against in the way they are in, say, the corporate world, so we absolutely must not begrudge them earning a salary that is commensurate with their ability in one of the few arenas that is not structured to exclude them.
“Well, I am not a football fan,” emails Steve Crick, “one of the ‘pampered, overpaid’ brigade, but what’s not to like about these guys? Modesty, humility, Rashford and Henderson, using their wealth and fame to promote a positive, inclusive and fairer society. As for the racism, I despair. Rugby League is, perhaps surprisingly, the role model in openly combatting this and all forms of groundless prejudice.”
Yup, they’re heroes. I think it’s important to note, though, that the “pampered, overpaid” thing is what Matt Hancock played on when trying to divert attention away from the government’s handling of the pandemic by isolating footballers as people who should be paying for stuff. In every field of human endeavour, those who do it best are well rewarded, and footballers are in the entertainment industry, giving joy to hundreds of millions worldwide. Football generates billions of pounds, and it’s only right that those with talent, few of whom are from affluent backgrounds, reap the rewards their hard work and dedication deserve. If the money doesn’t go to the players, it’s going to the owners.
Imagine the night these have had.
Good. Better late than never. Now apologise for encouraging fans to boo our players for taking the knee. https://t.co/6jNIvyxti1
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 12, 2021
“Brilliant quote you shared, there,” emails Richard McConnell – for anyone who missed it, it’s from Ethics of the Fathers and is worth considering when thinking about how to fight racism, translating as: “You are not expected to complete the task, but nor are you free to exempt yourself from it”.
“I think that feels key to this challenge we face as a society,” Richard continues. “The idea of helplessness and ‘what can one person do to change it?’ is such an easy fall-back point. That quote helps remind us all of our role in tackling this wave of racists who are empowered by ineffectual and divisive politicians.
I was speaking with my Dad about the issue of anonymous (and many non-anonymous) racist social media accounts and he mentioned that this was an issue with CB radios back in the 70s. Some little pipsqueak would chip in and abuse some random CB user until people walked away because they were sick of being abused by some anonymous users. I doubt these trolls and racists probably wouldn’t say these offensive remarks to the individuals faces, would they? The platform provides access and security to those individuals.
If Twitter won’t police this, will it take more players and public figures walking away? Having social media accounts really seems more hassle than it is worth at this point.”
Ultimately it needs action at policy level, not just from Twitter. We need to educate our children properly, we need to understand how structural racism operates – goodness me, we need our leaders to accept that it exists – and we need to make it a matter of law, not rely on happy vibes.
A lot’s being said about fans trying to force their way into the ground last night, so it’s worth noting that tickets were extremely and prohibitively expensive. More equitable pricing and more equitable distribution, and what happened might not’ve happened.
I love how much this squad love each other.
“Thank you for your words about the racism directed towards the three penalty takers,” emails Lee Taylor. “I am not that great with words, but it is distressing when such vileness rears its head. All too accurate about our so called leaders.”
Yes – and it’s distressing all the time, because even when the vileness is unspoken, it still exists.
I love this one of the Italian players singing their anthem. Look how Donnarumma has hold of Chiellini like he’s a hamster or something!
And this one!
Updated
There are some absolute jazzers in here.
One of the great recent tournaments, a thrilling, dramatic final, and we’re talking about racism. What a state of affairs.
Twitter have released a statement condemning the racism and have removed over 1000 tweets, permanently suspending some accounts. But, as noted by Thierry Henry, they have a lot of work still to do.
On which point, Ibram X Kendi’s book, How to Be an Antiracist, is essential reading and helpfully, inspirationally brilliant.
I guess I can’t go any further without saying something about the racist abuse directed at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka. As soon as the penalties went as they did, people of colour knew the racism was coming because that’s what happens. Racism isn’t just a problem in the moment, because our government and our society force our minorities to live on the edge, always one step away from violence.
Our leaders aren’t going to take responsibility for sorting this – they won’t even acknowledge the breadth and depth of the problem, nor their role in it. So it’s incumbent upon all of us, as individuals, to take personal responsibility for doing whatever we can.
We need to educate ourselves and our families, amplify minority voices, make sure we understand discrimination so we can call it out when we see it – however uncomfy it makes people – and recruit widely if we’ve got jobs to give out.
There’s a line in Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers, attributed to Rabbi Tarphon and that’s worth bearing in mind here: “You are not expected to complete the task, but nor are you free to exempt yourself from it.”
Morning all and thanks Simon. The Euros and Wimbledon finishing the same day is brutal, is it not? We are bereft, but let’s be bereft together.
I’m going to step away from the blog for a short while. Happily Daniel Harris is here to take over. Back in a bit!
Updated
Jordan Henderson, the Liverpool captain who played as a substitute in last night’s match, has said the following this morning:
Hurts even more this morning, this team deserved more. Been incredible to be a part of this campaign and see the joy it’s brought fans around the country after a very tough 18 months or so.
We gave absolutely everything and I am so proud of the lads for what they’ve done over the last few weeks. To see the growth of individuals and as a collective has been incredible, the character we’ve shown, the desire & sacrifice for each other has been something really special.
It says a lot about the lads who took a pen last night, huge courage, but we win & lose as a team & we will learn from this experience. Thank you all for your incredible support, we didn’t manage to get over the line in the end but we’ll be back, this is just the beginning.
Hurts even more this morning, this team deserved more. Been incredible to be a part of this campaign and see the joy it’s brought fans around the country after a very tough 18 months or so. pic.twitter.com/7Zez7MCO2D
— Jordan Henderson (@JHenderson) July 12, 2021
Marcus Rashford mural vandalised
The mural of Marcus Rashford in Withington was vandalised last night, apparently within an hour of the penalty shootout ending. This is what it looks like this morning:
Updated
The football may have gone to penalties, but there was one emphatic victory last night: overnight viewing figures suggest 25 million people watched the final on BBC One (the BBC are also claiming another six million viewers on their iPlayer streaming service), compared with six million on chose ITV.
Goodness me. 25 million of you elected to watch the game with us on @BBCOne last night…as well as just under 6 million on @BBCiPlayer. Astounding numbers. Thanks for choosing us. 🙌🏻🙌🏻
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) July 12, 2021
If the iPlayer figure is added to the total, it comprehensively beats the 1966 World Cup final (with 32.3 million viewers) as the most-watched event in British history.
Tony Burnett, CEO of the anti-racism organisation Kick It Out, has also released a statement:
The racist abuse aimed at some of the players on social media last night is appalling and completely unacceptable. We understand the police are rightly investigating and we hope the appropriate punishment is applied. We will continue to work with our partners in football to drive discrimination out of the game, but we call on those with the power to act now. The social media companies need to do more to stamp out abuse on their platforms, and the government also need to step up and keep its promise to regulate.
We could not be any prouder of this @England team.
— Kick It Out (@kickitout) July 12, 2021
To set yet more racist abuse aimed at some of the England players on social media is utterly appalling and completely unacceptable.
Our full statement below 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/ET2EJrF9Mu
The Duke of Cambridge has released a statement on online abuse of England players:
I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match.
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) July 12, 2021
It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour.
It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable. W
As has Keir Starmer:
The entire England team have brought us together and given us memories that will last a life time.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 12, 2021
They represent the best of us.
Anyone racially abusing them is a disgrace and doesn’t represent us at all. More can and must be done to stop online abuse.
Jack Grealish has defended himself against accusations of cowardice, after he did not take a penalty in last night’s shootout. This follows Gareth Southgate in his press conference making clear that the takers and their order had been decided by him alone, and that those who didn’t take one had no say in the matter. On Twitter a few minutes ago Grealish said this:
I said I wanted to take one!!!! The gaffer has made so many right decisions through this tournament and he did tonight! But I won’t have people say that I didn’t want to take a peno when I said I will…
I said I wanted to take one!!!!
— Jack Grealish (@JackGrealish) July 12, 2021
The gaffer has made so many right decisions through this tournament and he did tonight! But I won’t have people say that I didn’t want to take a peno when I said I will… https://t.co/3mBpKyMoUV
Gareth Southgate’s press conference has now concluded. He concluded with saying this about some of the tactical decisions he made last night:
You make hundreds of decisions in the course of a week. In the course of a tournament there are even more. You’re not going to get all of those right. You’ve got to get more right than wrong. If I didn’t get them all right last night then so be it, I’ll have to live with that.
Southgate on poor fan behaviour around last night’s game:
We can’t control that. We can only set the example that we believe we should, and represent the country in the way we feel we should. Everybody has to remember when they support the team that they also represent England, and should represent what we stand for. The players have done that brilliantly, and we can only continue to try to effect the things we can. I think we’ve had a lot of positive effects on society but we can’t effect everything. We’ve all got to work collectively to improve those things.
The Mail’s Mike Keegan posted these messages in the early hours of this morning. There were obviously very significant issues with the organisation and security of last night’s match, which are likely to cause further problems if England proceed with a planned bid for the 2030 World Cup.
1/2 That was the worst experience I’ve ever had as a fan at a football match. Shambolic organization, police nowhere to be seen, fans without tickets running amok within what was a giant Covid breeding ground. Taken 3.5 hours to get out of the godforsaken place. Saw fights…
— Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) July 12, 2021
2/2 bottles thrown, people karate kicking windows and (a new one for me) had to jump out of the way of an armed officer with his gun drawn chasing someone. Transport non-existent, roads gridlocked for hours, behaviour of many despicable. Wembley Way a bombsite. Awful, awful night
— Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) July 12, 2021
Southgate on whether it is necessary to go through disappointment to reach success:
Most teams that win, France went through what we’re feeling now in 2016. Spain did it before they won. It’s normally part of the process you have to go to. The fact we’ve had the first signs of some consistency - semi-final, final - that has to be the right direction. When you get so close it’s more painful of course. it feels like my stomach’s been ripped out this morning. But I know that is the process we have to go through, and England have to keep that track going, whoever’s here, whoever’s at the FA.
The Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke has been criticised for sending a message after England’s defeat that read: “They lose - would it be ungenerous to suggest Rashford should have spent more time perfecting his game and less time playing politics.”
Such disappointments may be hardly unexpected these days, but it still really hurts my brain how undignified and hypocritical that is. It seems many other people have had similar reactions, and Elphicke has just rowed back on that remark:
Last night I shared the frustration and heartbreak of millions of England fans. The team gave their all. Congratulations and onwards to the World Cup! https://t.co/xKK7RjgOKn
— Natalie Elphicke MP (@NatalieElphicke) July 12, 2021
Southgate on his tactics for the final:
We picked a team because of a tactical problem that Italy posed, and where we thought we could hurt them. I think for the first 45 minutes everyone would agree that worked. We didn’t keep the ball well for a 20-minute period, and that is always going to be a strength with Italy. We were actually controlling the game without the ball for long periods, but that period we were a little bit more open and couldn’t release the pressure by keeping the ball.
We changed the shape, which gave us a little bit more control but did open up space elsewhere. They went with a false nine for a period which is difficult to deal with. And we didn’t quite create the chances that we would have liked to. But we were against a team who are incredible in terms of their defensive power. There are lots of things we’ll reflect on. Of course, we do that after every game. Until we watch the game in absolute detail, I wouldn’t be giving you a fully accurate portrayal.
Southgate’s press conference is being broadcast on Twitter here:
Watch live as Gareth Southgate reflects on a second-placed finish at #EURO2020 for the #ThreeLions: https://t.co/AtWHOrKnip
— England (@England) July 12, 2021
Southgate on England’s World Cup chances: “To say we can go there now and win, it’s a bit glib, really.”
When you’re in sport and you get to finals, you know those opportunities are so rare. To go so close, and to know you’ve got to pick yourself up and go again, that’s very hard the day after. Sometimes it’s easy to say things like, we can go on to Qatar now and win. It’s a bit glib, really. We’ve still got to qualify, we’ve still got steps to take. This has been fantastic, to get the time with the players that we get. Really embed the culture, embed our way of playing. Those periods are what you look for as an international manager and when you lose them it’s very difficult.
Southgate on team spirit and team development:
We’ve waited for a long time to make playing for England fun, to make it enjoyable. I think our players now have that. When they come away with England. I think they’ve had a fabulous experienced, they’ve loved the adventure. They’ve got a fabulous spirit, it really is a club-type spirit. All this team can go again, but the young ones are still years from peaking. We’ve got 18, 19, 20-year-olds who’ve done an incredible job and had a great insight into tourbament football.
There are a huge number of positives from that, and those players will be far better for going through so many important wins, so many landmarks. In the main, they performed under the huge pressure of being at home for the majority of the tournament, being among the favourites, and they dealt with that so well. For a large part of the final, certainly the first half, they dealt with that.
We were against a team that had gone 30 games unbeaten, a team that’s probably a little bit ahead of us in their development and their progress.
Southgate confirms he will stay and lead England's World Cup campaign
Southgate on his future: “I need a break now” but “I would want to be taking the team to Qatar”:
I need a rest. It’s an amazing experience, but to lead your country in these tournaments takes its toll, and I need a break now. It’s great to have that internal support, but also there’s a lot to think through. it’s not about finance or commitment. I don’t want to commit to anything longer than I should, and I don’t want to outstay my welcome. But as I sit here today I would want to be taking the team to Qatar. I feel we’ve made progress, we’ve had a fourth place, a second place and a third place. The consistency is right up there. A lot of things we’ve done right, and we know this team isn’t at its peak yet.
Updated
Gareth Southgate is giving a press conference. Here’s what he said about online abuse and racism:
I think we’ve been a beacon of light in bringing people together, in people being able to relate to the national team, and the national team stands for everybody. That togetherness must continue. We’ve shown the power the country has when we do come together. I’m incredibly proud of the players, and the game, we needed to win in 120 minutes. We were a little bit short in that period. Then it’s my decision who takes the penalties, it’s not more experienced players backing out, they didn’t have the chance. It was my decision. I’ve still got huge belief in them. Those boys have done a brilliant job. We heal together as a team now. We’re here for them, and I know 99% of the public will be as well.
Bukayo in particular has been an absolute star in this tournament. He’s become such a hugely popular member of the group, and I know he’s got everybody’s support.
Germany’s newspapers are mostly expressing sympathy with England’s unfortunate penalty takers this morning. “Once again, no happy end for the motherland of football”, said Bild’s chief sports writer Torsten Rumpf. “Because in the end Southgate failed as a coach in the Euros final against Italy, and bet on the wrong penalty takers”. Rumpf nonetheless hails Southgate as a “real gentleman, an appealing figure”.
But footage of fans pushing through barriers to get inside Wembley and fights breaking out around the stadium did not go unnoticed in Germany. “One thing was especially surprising”, wrote Süddeutsche Zeitung: “That preventative measures were more lax than at tournaments in recent years. The vicinity of the stadium was closed off, as has become practice long before the start of the pandemic.”
“These pictures are embarrassing for the FA, because the Euros are meant to be a high security event, and they come across as disastrous in view of the planned bid for the World Cup 2030,” writes Der Spiegel, also noting the persistent booing of visiting teams at Wembley. “The standard of behaviour among parts of the European supporters has been problematic throughout these Euros.”
The number of supporters allowed to attend the final in spite of rising infection rates in Britain had drawn criticism from German politicians in the run-up to the match. On the night, state broadcaster ZDF spoke of a “capitulation before the virus”. “The virus celebrated a joyous festival of football in London”, wrote Die Zeit. “Let’s wait for the Wembley variant.”
“What would have happened if the English had brought the cup home?”, asks Tagesspiegel. “After Brexit there would have been no restraint from the island nation, English arrogance would have been hard to bear for the rest of Europe.”
During last night’s match Maria van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist and Covid-19 technical lead at the WHO, tweeted: “Am I supposed to be enjoying watching transmission happening in front of my eyes? The #COVID19 pandemic is not taking a break tonight… #SARSCoV2 #DeltaVariant will take advantage of unvaccinated people, in crowded settings, unmasked, screaming/shouting/singing. Devastating.”
Am I supposed to be enjoying watching transmission happening in front of my eyes?
— Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) July 11, 2021
The #COVID19 pandemic is not taking a break tonight… #SARSCoV2 #DeltaVariant will take advantage of unvaccinated people, in crowded settings, unmasked, screaming/shouting/singing. Devastating.
All I can say is: if she didn’t like the look of the stands, she should have seen the scenes on Wembley’s concourses pre-match and at half-time, which were much the same but with much more crowding and much less ventilation.
Updated
Arsenal have released a statement this morning about the abuse of Bukayo Saka, whose penalty last night was saved by Gigi Donnarumma to decide the final in Italy’s favour:
Bukayo has been with us since he was seven and the whole club couldn’t have been prouder to see him represent England throughout the tournament. You could feel it right across the club.
Last night we witnessed the leadership and character we’ve always known and loved in Bukayo. However, this feeling of pride quickly turned to sorrow at the racist comments our young player was subjected to on his social media platforms after the final whistle.
Once again, we are sad to have to say we condemn the racism of a number black players. This cannot continue and the social media platforms and authorities must act to ensure this disgusting abuse to which our players are subjected on a daily basis stops now.
We have processes in place internally at Arsenal to ensure our players are supported both emotionally and practically on this issue but sadly there is only so much we can do.
Our message to Bukayo is: hold your head high, we are so very proud of you and we cannot wait to welcome you back home to Arsenal soon.
You may now watch these moving images of Roberto Mancini:
Gary Neville, the former England international right-back and pundit, on Sky Sports News this morning:
The taking of the knee was ridiculed by our top-ranking government officials. So when we get racist abuse after a football match at the end of a tournament, I expect it. Because it exists, and it’s actually promoted by the prime minister. I knew as soon as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka missed last night, I knew we would be waking up this morning to stories of racist abuse.
Marvin Sordell, a former player and a member of the FA’s inclusion advisory board:
The saddest thing is that as soon as three black players missed penalties, we all know exactly what was coming… 😔
— Marvin Sordell (@MarvinSordell) July 12, 2021
Here’s a quick roundup of some of the Guardian’s coverage of last night’s Euro 2020 final:
“England cut a swath through the tournament, got closer than any of their predecessors, and stayed true to themselves. It is not consolation to take some pride in that.” - Jonathan Liew’s live report:
“For Gareth Southgate and his young team defeat came in the cruellest, most operatic fashion at Wembley as England’s shot at a first tournament victory in 55 years was decided by another of those brutal little flick-books of joy and despair.” - Barney Ronay’s piece from Wembley:
“That England failed to hold a lead – again – does not mean that caution was the wrong approach, at least from the outset. Southgate’s strength in this tournament has been devising specific plans for specific games. And for over an hour here it worked.” - Jonathan Wilson’s tactical analysis:
And how today’s English papers reported England’s defeat:
Here’s a thing on Roberto Mancini, the Italy manager, and his reaction to Italy’s victory:
Roberto Mancini said his tears were for the whole of Italy after winning Euro 2020 in a dramatic penalty shooutout. Victory over England brought Italy their first European Championship title since 1968 and the manager was overcome at the end.
“We don’t even realise what we have managed to achieve,” said Mancini, who took over in 2018 after Italy had failed to qualify for the World Cup. “We are delighted for people and the Italian public because they really deserve this after what has been a trying period. This is great joy for us.
“I cried on this ground 30 years ago after the 1992 European Cup final [when Sampdoria lost to Barcelona]. That really hurt back then. Winning the European Championship for the first time since 1968 and bringing home the trophy I do think it is something incredible.”
Much more here:
Updated
I’ve been having a look at some of the videos of fan violence, before and after the match, circulating online. It is hard sometimes to be sure what you are seeing: there are, for example, some that are claimed in some places to be of England fans waiting outside Wembley to ambush emerging Italians that look to me like England fans inside Wembley attacking ticketless fans who have forced entry. But without doubt there is a lot of footage about that will bring shame to English football fans, plenty of which was filmed before the game even kicked off.
Disgusting racial abuse of England players , yobs storming into Wembley and Leicester Sq trashed … why would football want to come home to this anyway? pic.twitter.com/4ZTFdW85EY
— Mark Austin (@markaustintv) July 12, 2021
Over the last hour, the prime minister and the home secretary have criticised online abuse of England players:
This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 12, 2021
Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves.
I am disgusted that @England players who have given so much for our country this summer have been subject to vile racist abuse on social media.
— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) July 12, 2021
It has no place in our country and I back the police to hold those responsible accountable.
Previously, Priti Patel on England players taking the knee: “I just don’t support people participating in that type of gesture politics.” Boris Johnson’s spokesman on fans booing the players taking the knee: “The prime minister fully respects the right of those who choose to peacefully protest and make their feelings known”.
A couple of Italian front pages this morning. The Corriere dello Sport: “It’s ours!”
And the Gazzetta dello Sport: “Too beautiful - Italy, champions of Europe.”
Also from the FA this morning, in the early hours: a statement on discriminatory abuse aimed at some of the England players, imploring the government “to act quickly and bring in the appropriate legislation so this abuse has real life consequences”.
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) July 12, 2021
England have just tweeted this image this morning. “Football is about more than trophies, and we’ve seen that all summer,” the accompanying tweet says. “Coming home? Perhaps it was here all along.”
Nice words. The FA, and it’s been a while since I’ve been able to write this or anything like it, have got so much right recently.
Hello world!
So it is over. A new day has dawned, one - like the next, and the one after that - without any particularly interesting football to look forward to, but one ripe with happy Italians and disappointed English. For those who went to bed early and woke up late, or anyone who has just got online for the first time after a weekend of Hebridean wild camping, Italy beat England on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley last night to become champions of Europe for the second time, and to extend England’s 55 years of hurt for at least another one and a bit.
So here we are, the morning after the night before. Let’s try to get through it together, yes?
