England fans in Germany who dramatically stormed out of the stadium due to the team’s ‘s***’ performance against Slovakia were left red faced tonight after the Three Lions pulled off an astonishing victory during the final minutes of the game.
Gareth Southgate’s men secured their place in the Euros 2024 quarter-finals after a nail-biting match that saw the team, who were losing 1-0 the majority of the clash, score two goals with minutes to spare.
The team’s initial lackluster performance had left many at home in the UK and in arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, groaning in their seats and covering their eyes fearing England would be kicked out of the tournament.
Some who had paid hundreds to fly out to Arena AufSchalke to watch the last 16 game even deserted their seats before the end of match – ironically missing what has been the most exciting few minutes of England’s Euros’ journey so far.
A fuming fan told Sky News as he strutted out of the game that the team’s performance had been ‘s***’ putting much of the blame of the England manager, suggesting he had given up on his role.
‘Well Southgates gone hasn’t he,’ the fan said. ‘Southgates gone on his holiday and players will pick up the next two years.’
His friend, who appeared a bit more cheery, joked that they were leaving early ‘only because they didn’t want to get caught on the tram’.
It meant the unlucky fans – who were among a string of supporters who abandoned the stadium while England was still losing – missed Jude Bellingham’s incredible over the head kick that leveled the game 1-1 within seconds remaining.
They then missed out as Harry Kane headed the winning goal in what will no doubt become known one of the biggest shocks in the Euros history.
For part of the game, the England squad was greeted with boos throughout the stadium, particularly after Ivan Schranz scored in the first half for Slovakia.
Yet as the final two goals hit the back of the net, jubilant cries and cheers erupted in the stadium with England tearing off their shirts in celebration, tipping their pints over the seats as they jumped around.
‘We know we will do whatever it takes,’ England captain Kane said after the game. ‘We have another game like this in the quarter-finals then so be it. This team knows how to dig deep, that’s exactly what we done today.
‘Of course we could have been better, we could have played better but ultimately it’s a results business and that’s what we care about. We can enjoy this, we can enjoy the comeback and hopefully take that moment into the rest of the tournament.’
Star of the match Bellingham said that his goal was one of the most important moments in his career to date.
‘I think it was 20 seconds until we were out of the European Championship,’ he told reporters. ‘It’s hard to deny that it was one of the most important moments of my career so far.’
Bellingham’s teammates all agreed with Kane gushing that it will go down as one of England’s best goals in history.
‘Then Jude does what Jude does, it was an unbelievable goal and it kept our tournament alive,’ Kane said. ‘I think it’s one of the best goals in our country’s history. What a player he is. He works so hard for the team.
‘There’s been a lot of talk about him in the last couple of days and it shows what he can do in the big moments, to step up and that’s what we needed everyone to do, to step up.
‘We know we’ll do whatever it takes. If it’s another game like this in the quarter-finals, so be it. This team knows how to dig deep and we’ve done that today. Of course we could have done better but ultimately it’s a results business.
‘We’ll enjoy the comeback and hopefully take the momentum into the rest of the tournament.’