SPORTS AGENDA: Police in Germany relieved as Turkey crash out of Euro 2024, the huge price to watch England’s semi-final… and Anthony Taylor faces wrath of host fans

Police in Germany breathed a sigh of relief after the Netherlands recovered from a deficit by beating Turkey to face England in the semi-final in Dortmund on Wednesday.

Dortmund has a large Turkish population and there were concerns that an England-Turkey clash would cause crowd problems given the history of both countries.

England’s German following includes a significant number of Leeds fans. In 2000, two Leeds fans were stabbed to death in Istanbul before a UEFA Cup semi-final against Galatasaray.

Although the match between England and the Netherlands is considered less risky, there will still be a significant number of police officers present.

England will instead play the Netherlands on Wednesday in the semi-finals of Euro 2024

The Real Cost of Seeing England

The cheapest tickets for the England v Netherlands semi-final are priced at £500 on resale site viagogo. The Netherlands are expected to have a 60-40 lead at Dortmund’s 80,000-seater Westfalenstadion, complete with the orange hue of its famous Yellow Wall.

Although only 7,000 tickets were allocated for England’s quarter-final against Switzerland, fans once again found a way to get tickets.

Mail Sport has seen evidence of braggarts squeezing through the door behind a fan with a valid ticket, and they are now planning a replay on Wednesday.

The cheapest tickets available for England’s semi-final against the Netherlands cost £500 on a resale site

Five people were arrested for trying to enter the stadium without a ticket.

Exhibition held in former German concentration camp

Buchenwald, the concentration camp where an estimated 56,000 people died at the hands of the Nazis, is a short drive from England’s training camp at Blankenhain. To mark Germany’s hosting of the European Championships, an exhibition is being held at the camp, exploring in harrowing detail the lives of the professional footballers who were unfortunate enough to be imprisoned there.

Among them was Eugene Maes, who played for a number of clubs in Paris and scored 15 goals in 11 games for France. Maes’ career was cut short by an injury sustained in World War I and he became a swimming and dancing coach. After the German invasion, he was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943 for making a joke about the swimming ability of German soldiers.

Three months later he was on his way to Buchenwald. Maes was forced to work and later transferred to a nearby extermination camp. He is believed to have died in March 1945.

To mark Germany’s hosting of the European Championship, an exhibition will be held in the former Buchenwald concentration camp

German fans want Anthony Taylor to be dropped from the squad

Furious German fans have started a petition to have Anthony Taylor removed from UEFA’s referee list.

They are furious with the England official and his VAR team for failing to award the hosts a penalty for handball against Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella in their quarter-final defeat last Friday, with Spain winning the match 2-1 in extra time.

Outraged German fans have started a petition to have Anthony Taylor removed from UEFA’s referee list

BBC staff left empty-handed

BBC members in Germany have been left in dire straits by a problem with the broadcaster’s costing system, with frustrated staff now going 11 days without compensation.

The victims, many of whom do not receive the huge sums paid to top talent at the Beeb, are about £600 less.

Communications chief ready for political step

If IOC President Thomas Bach continues for another controversial term, he may have to do without Mark Adams, his British communications supremo. Adams is tipped for a role at Number 10 with pal Sir Keir Starmer.

Gareth Bale to compete in Germany

Wales may not have made it to the European Championships, but one Welsh player did make it to Germany. Gareth Bale took part in golf’s BMW International in Munich, alongside former Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Gareth Bale took part in the BMW International golf event in Munich

Fear of water decreases in Paris

Paris 2024 organisers are confident that water quality for the triathlon and open water swimming events will be good enough by the time the Games start in less than three weeks.

Tests conducted two weeks ago showed the presence of E. coli bacteria, but new measurements show a huge improvement.

Man United director joins Formula E

Ellie Norman, who stepped down from her role as communications manager at Manchester United last month, has become the new Chief Marketing Officer at Formula E.