Contemporary particulars have emerged about what led to a heated trade between England midfielder Declan Rice and Slovakia supervisor Francesco Calzona on the finish of final evening’s Euro 2024 last-16 tie.
The Three Lions got here again from behind in dramatic vogue to win 2-1 in further time and safe their place within the quarter-finals.
However as England gamers and followers have been celebrating at full-time, former Napoli coach Calzona stormed onto the pitch and clashed with Turkish referee Umut Meler.
When Rice tried to intervene and discuss to him, the Slovakia boss reacted aggressively and pushed the Arsenal midfielder within the chest. One other member of his teaching employees will also be seen pushing the England star.
Rice, who had been telling Calzona to not converse to match officers, turned offended on the incident and needed to be restrained by fellow teammates Ivan Toney, Aaron Ramsdale and Ezri Konsa to attempt to calm the state of affairs.
Skilled lipreader Jeremy Freeman advised Mail Sport that in the course of the altercation, an offended Rice mentioned: 'Shut up, you bastard, oi, shut up, you bald bastard.'
Calzona later revealed that he needed to talk to the officers at full-time to complain about their failure to punish England's time-wasting ways throughout further time.
“Rice ought to have gone to the referee and walked away,” Calzona mentioned. “I needed to discuss to the referee and he was not prepared to stroll away, he saved enjoying. However then he apologised and it was all high-quality. What I didn't like was that the England workforce wasted time and wasn't punished.”
Contemporary particulars have emerged about what led to the heated trade between England midfielder Declan Rice and Slovakia supervisor Francesco Calzona
Rice turned livid when Calzona punched him within the chest after the full-time whistle
The England midfielder was pushed by one other member of the Slovakia teaching employees in the course of the altercation
England's teammates needed to pull Rice again to calm the state of affairs.
Calzona mentioned he was aggravated by England's time-wasting throughout further time as a result of they have been attempting to win.
Slovakia have been simply seconds away from a historic win however Jude Bellingham foiled Ivan Schranz's first-half aim with an outstanding acrobatic equaliser within the ninety fifth minute to power further time.
1000’s of England followers in Germany and thousands and thousands at house erupted in pleasure when Three Lions captain Harry Kane scored the successful aim simply 51 seconds into further time.
Kane's aim gave England the chance to safe their place within the quarter-finals.
Tensions have been excessive earlier than the sport, as Rice attacked a number of the Slovakian gamers in his press convention.
The England star didn’t touch upon the controversy however mentioned: 'We’ve got an inside battle and keenness. [that] Earlier than the sport some Slovakian gamers mentioned we didn't have unity. We’ve got that unity, we proved it tonight.
‘We might do something to guard this supervisor, to guard one another.
'We'll preserve going and preserve preventing and tonight it confirmed what we've achieved as a gaggle. It's an honour to be part of this and we'll give it our all.'
Bellingham had additionally angered the Slovaks by saying he didn’t know who the Three Lions have been enjoying in opposition to earlier than the sport.
After 120 minutes of powerful soccer, Calzona was left upset by Slovakia's late defeat and he expressed his frustration additional in his post-match press convention.
Slovakia supervisor Francesco Calzona is seen talking at a press convention on Sunday
Slovakia might have crushed England if Jude Bellingham had not scored a superb aim on the finish
Calzona is pleased with his workforce, though they misplaced in further time within the spherical of 16.
“The frustration is big,” Calzona mentioned. “However I really feel extra delight than disappointment. We nearly gained in opposition to a world-class workforce and superior. We tried so exhausting, we nearly superior. We didn’t advance.
'In further time, we spent half an hour within the opponent's half. I'm proud that we managed it that method and did such an excellent job.'
Calzona mentioned he advised his gamers within the dressing room: “You probably did an excellent job, you have been implausible.”
He added: 'What else might I inform them? We performed a balanced recreation with everybody, we had possibilities, we scored objectives. The statistics additionally affirm that.
'Everybody may be very disillusioned as a result of we nearly reached the quarter-finals. Sadly, the dream is over, however now we have to simply accept it.'
There was additional controversy on the full-time whistle when Bellingham made an obscene gesture in direction of the Slovakian dugout – though he later clarified it was 'an inside joke with associates'.
A publish that went viral on social media confirmed Bellingham strolling alongside England captain Kane. He locations his hand on his mouth, then strikes it in direction of his waist and makes numerous actions.
Nonetheless, Bellingham was fast to refute claims that this was aimed toward Bench and clarified the state of affairs, as he wrote X, 'It was an inside joke in direction of some shut associates that have been within the recreation.
'I’ve nice respect for the best way the Slovakian workforce performed tonight.'
The 21-year-old later mentioned On Sunday, he took intention at England's critics by sharing a well-known quote from Theodore Roosevelt on his Instagram web page.
It learn: 'The critic doesn’t matter; neither does the one who factors out how the highly effective man erred, or the place the person doing the job might have finished higher.
