Gareth Southgate has said he “expects everybody to enjoy the football” when asked about the heightened security risk of England’s opening Euros match against Serbia.
The England manager was responding to a question at a pre-match news conference on Saturday about the decision to ramp up security measures for today’s game in Gelsenkirchen.
Asked for his message to supporters, he said: “I expect everybody to enjoy the football.
“I’ve been fortunate to be involved in a lot of tournaments, and travel to tournaments I’ve not been directly involved in.
“They’re great carnivals of football – an opportunity to see a different part of the world and meet people from other parts of the world, have a brilliant time, so I’m sure everybody is coming to do that.”
He added: “I hope the whole of Europe can come together for the brilliant game that we’re involved in and support their team.”
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England-Serbia match ‘high risk’
Officials have designated England’s opening fixture as a “high-risk” event, with fans served lower-alcohol beer in the stadium and banned from drinking in the stands.
More than 300,000 British fans are travelling to Germanyfor Euro 2024, making it their highest attendance since Euro 2016 in France.
Image: England fans in Gelsenkirchen. Pic: PA
Policing the first game has been made more challenging by UEFAasking for the barriers to be removed inside the stadium, with both sides being seated closer together, and two-thirds of tickets going to mixed areas.
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Southgate ‘relaxed’ that this is likely his final Euros
Entering his fourth tournament as England manager, Gareth Southgate is looking to the future.
There is 20-year-old Jude Bellingham being appointed to the leadership group.
A squad with only half its players retained from the 2022 World Cup.
And the manager himself is looking at a time when the Three Lions dugout is filled by someone else.
“I hate to put pressure on all the coaches,” the 53-year-old said. “But it could be the last tournament for all of them.”
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German police Chief Inspector Christof Burghardt told Sky News previously: “I think it’s a very high-risk game because of the history, because of the hooligans both sides have.
“Serbia has many hooligans. The English guys, with alcohol, they are sometimes very aggressive. So it’s a great job to do this, to prepare, so that hopefully nothing will happen.”
Image: Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane. Pic: Reuters
Footballing deaths a ‘great shock’
At the joint news conference with captain Harry Kane on Saturday, Southgate was also asked about the deaths announced today of two footballing figures – former Arsenal and Everton star Kevin Campell and Millwall and Montenegro goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.
Southgate said “both pieces of news were received with shock and great sadness”, acknowledging that the England players who have played with Sarkic are “feeling that even more”.
Image: Matija Sarkic. Pic: PA
He recalled playing with Campbell, who died aged 54, at Arsenal, describing him as a “hugely popular man”.
“Kevin was the same age as me… his son has been in our junior pathway as well. Our thoughts are very much with his family at this time,” he said.
Image: Kevin Campbell. Pic: PA
Both men said they are expecting Sunday’s game to be a challenge.
Kane told reporters: “We’re expecting a really tough game.”
Southgate added: “There are a lot of good teams in this tournament and we have to be exceptional to progress, firstly through the group, and then to have the opportunity to go further.”
A man has died after suffering cardiac arrest onboard a boat attempting to reach the UK.
The vessel turned back towards Equihen beach on the French coast yesterday morning.
A nurse tried to resuscitate the man but was unsuccessful.
Image: Pic: PA
French authorities have now launched an investigation into the circumstances.
A spokesperson for Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has criticised authorities on both sides of the Channel.
Jacob Burns said: “Yet again we have a tragedy in the Channel, that is the consequence of the deadly, costly and ineffective security policies implemented by the UK and France.”
Image: Pic: PA
Later on Saturday, a lifeboat carried migrants who have made the voyage into the Port of Dover.
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Photographs showed them huddled under blankets and orange life jackets on board.
“The opportunity of tomorrow and what’s on offer is the best thing in football,” the England captain said. “I think we don’t necessarily carry the weight of it and how much it means to people, but we’re aware of it because it means the same to us.”
So often they were only watching other nations making finals.
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England’s first was the men winning the 1966 World Cup.
Image: England manager Sarina Wiegman reacts to defeat against Spain at the Women’s World Cup final in 2023. Pic: Reuters
Image: Lauren James looks dejected after their World Cup defeat, but is confirmed fit for Sunday’s revenge match against Spain. Pic: Reuters
Now, in Basel, comes the chance for revenge against Spain – even though no one in the England camp is saying that, publicly at least, in Switzerland.
Especially knowing how challenging a task it is coming up again against Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putella – the recent winners of football’s biggest individual honours.
Image: England fans celebrating after England beat Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Given England’s history against Spain, it could be a nerve-wracking time for England fans. File pic: Action Images/Reuters
But this is Spain’s first Euros final.
And there is some fear from the world champions at England’s grit and resolve to produce comebacks late in the quarter-finals and semi-finals – with 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang’s goals integral to the fightbacks.
Image: England celebrate their semi-final win against Italy to reach the finals. Pic: Reuters
Image: Michelle Agyemang has propelled England to the Euro 2025 final with two vital goals. Pic: AP
Spain captain Irene Paredes reflected yesterday on how the Lionesses can flip a result late on.
But she was also discussing how their World Cup win was tarnished by the on-pitch kiss that led to former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales being convicted of a sexual assault on striker Jenni Hermoso.
It sparked a wider clamour in Spain for improved rights and respect for women.
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Spain’s players struggle for respect
“Since then [2023] we took big steps forward,” Paredes said.
“I think this idea is disappearing from society. I still believe we have to continue opening doors… we’re a reference for boys and girls in society, but we still have things to do.”
It is a reminder that while tonight is about collecting silverware, both England and Spain know that emerging as champions can drive further growth in women’s football back home.
Amid it all, they’ll try to savour just what reaching a final means and how rare they are – until recently for English and Spanish women.
A woman who thought she was being injected with Botox was left unable to swallow and doctors thought she had suffered a stroke – after she contracted a life-threatening illness from a potentially illegal product.
Nicola Fairley is one of dozens of people who have developed botulism linked to unlicensed anti-wrinkle injections.
She had the procedure done with her regular beautician after winning a Facebook competition for three areas of “Botox”.
Image: Nicola Fairley
“Within two or three hours my forehead and the sides of my eyes had started to freeze,” Nicola says.
“At first I thought ‘amazing’, that’s what I wanted – then it just carried on.”
Nicola was eventually sent to A&E in Durham, where she met several other patients who all had similar symptoms.
Doctors were stumped. “They thought I’d had a stroke,” she says.
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“We all had problems with our eyes, some of us with our breathing. I couldn’t swallow – they put me on nil by mouth because they were worried I would choke in the waiting room.”
Image: Doctors were worried Nicola could choke after she was injected with a suspected illegal product
It turns out all of the patients had recently had anti-wrinkle injections containing botulinum toxin.
Health officials believe they were imported, illegal products.
Botulism – the disease they caused – is so rare many doctors never see it in their entire careers.
It can cause symptoms including slurred speech and breathing problems, and can be deadly.
The disease is so unusual, and so many cases were coming in, that doctors exhausted their stocks of anti-toxin and had to ask hospitals as far away as London to get more.
The UK Health Security Agency has so far confirmed 38 cases of botulism linked to cosmetic toxin injections, but Sky News has been told of several more.
The outbreak began in the North East but cases have now been seen in the East of England and East Midlands as well.
There are only a handful of legal botulinum toxin products in the UK – of which Botox is one.
But cosmetic treatments are largely unregulated, with anyone allowed to inject products like fillers and toxins without any medical training.
Cheap, illegal products imported from overseas are easily available.
Image: Dr Steven Land
‘It’s the Wild West’
Dr Steven Land runs Novellus Aesthetics clinic in Newcastle upon Tyne. He worked for decades as an emergency medicine doctor before moving into aesthetics.
He says he has been warning health officials of an outbreak for years.
“It’s the Wild West,” Dr Land told Sky News.
“Because anyone can do this, there is a lack of knowledge around what is legal, what’s not legal, what is okay to be injected.
“These illegal toxins could have 50 units, 5,000 units or rat poison – there could be anything in there.”