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Ezri Konza has revealed England players had to check on family members who were drenched in beer thrown by supporters at the end of the team’s match nil draw with Slovenia.
In a night that ended with plastic beer cups being thrown in the direction of Gareth Southgate, relatives and friends of the players also found themselves in the line of fire. Konsa, who said the atmosphere in that part of the stadium was “not pleasant” after the draw that secured England’s top spot in Group C, said his brother was among those showered with drinks. The defender added that Southgate’s abuse was not a topic of conversation in the dressing room.
“We haven’t talked about it,” Konsa said. “We knew this because some of our family members had been hit with a few drinks. We know these things happen in football. We try not to think about it too much, so we move on. There are kids with families in the stands, so we always have to check on them, reassure them and ask if they’re okay. Happens.
“It wasn’t nice. But there are plenty of highly experienced players who have experienced it before at club level. We know what to expect from the fans. It’s always up and down. It’s part of the game. My brother was hit, several others. But we haven’t talked much about it and there’s not much we can do about it. I talked to him afterwards and asked him how he was and he said he was fine. It was coming from all angles.
Konsa, an unused substitute in England’s first three games in Euro 2024acknowledged the performance levels needed to improve against Slovakia in the last 16 on Sunday.
“We know we can play better,” he said. “We know some performances are not at our best. But we always try and give our best. We’re not going to try to play bad on purpose. Sometimes in football everything works out and sometimes it doesn’t. But we are now ready for Sunday.”
Southgate could make changes, with Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer hoping to break into the starting line-up and debate developing over whether Jude Bellingham should keep his place. Bellingham has had a disappointing tournament and concerns about his fitness have intensified after the 20-year-old admitted he felt “absolutely dead” against Slovenia.
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The Real Madrid midfielder said it was only the support of the fans that kept him going. “You definitely draw on them for energy towards the end of games,” he said. “I felt like the last game I was absolutely dead. But you hear them sing and you can play at a level that is not our best – it’s normal, it can happen. But the important thing when you represent these fans is not to give up.”
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