- England were forced to play out a frustrating goalless draw against Slovenia on Tuesday
- Fans in the stands expressed their anger after the match by throwing cups
- Listen to It’s all about to begin! EURO DAILY: Should Jude Bellingham be dropped by Gareth Southgate?
The relatives of some England players were drenched in beer after angry fans launched cups at the end of the Three Lions’ disappointing stalemate with Slovenia.
Mail Sport understands that a group on the bottom tier of the Cologne stadium exchanged angry words with those sitting above them after the final whistle of the 0-0 draw, with manager Gareth Southgate also having plastic cups thrown at him.
It is not thought that the player’s partners and friends were recognized or targeted.
Rather, fans simply threw their drinks in the air and they landed between them, soaking them some. The group sat in a general access area on the other side of the tunnel and the bench area.
The allocation for family and friends has yet to be handed over for Sunday’s last-16 match against Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen.
Relatives of England players were drenched in beer after fans threw cups following their draw against Slovenia
Mail Sport understands that a group on the bottom tier of the stadium in Cologne exchanged angry words with those sitting above them after the final whistle of Tuesday’s match
England fans threw plastic cups at Gareth Southgate after the tepid draw against Slovenia
Jarrod Bowen (pictured left) sits with family and his partner Dani Dyer (right) after the match.
John Stones’ partner, like Dyer, was sitting in the section where beer cups appeared to have been thrown
When it lands, English security officials will assess it and see if it needs to be moved elsewhere.
At a meeting today between local authorities and UEFA, it was decided that low-alcohol beer would once again be served at the venue, Mail Sport reported yesterday.
The move – which will see 2.8 per cent of low strength beer served in the ground – is unlikely to go down well with England’s support being praised for their behavior during the tournament.
The beer throwing incidents, including the Southgate incident, are believed to have played a role.
The FA is expected to be fined for ‘throwing objects’ by UEFA.
Police expect most English fans to remain in Düsseldorf ahead of the match.
Full-strength beer is served in a fan zone on a race track, approximately 4km above the ground.
Speaking about the plastic cups thrown in his direction at the end of the match against Slovenia, Southgate said: ‘I understand. I’m not going to shy away from it.
Dyer holds a plastic cup similar to those thrown by the supporters
‘The most important thing is that we stay with the team. I understand the story in front of me. That’s better for the team than for them, but it does create an unusual environment to operate in.
“I haven’t seen any other team qualify and receive the same. I’m not going to shy away from it.
“I recognize that when you have moments like at the end of the match, I ask the players to be fearless, I will not shy away from thanking our fans at the end of the match.
‘Whatever way they feel about me, I understand, I’ve been in England for 20 years, I’ve seen it. My job is to guide the team in this and get the best out of the team and maintain this perspective for them.
‘I am very happy with how they have handled themselves, especially in the last few days.’