- England start Euros with win and a draw
- Reports suggest tensions within players’ families
- Southgate criticised for selection biases
WHAT HAPPENED?
England travelled to Germany earlier this month for Euro 2024 and did so as one of the outright favourites to lift the trophy at the Olympastadion on July 14. However, despite them sitting atop their group, all has not gone to plan as they struggled to a 1-0 win over Serbia before a frustrating 1-1 draw against Denmark. Reports from the Independent suggest that there are tensions among the players’ families.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The report has suggested that when the players met their families in Frankfurt after the drab draw against Denmark, there was a lot of ‘tension’ between all that were involved but not due to the result. It is believed that a lot of players and their families are convinced Southgate has reservations towards certain senior players and will not select players in form over them.
DID YOU KNOW?
While the report suggests players’ unhappiness towards Southgate for his biases towards senior players, that has not been the case in his squad picking for the Euros’ 26-man squad. He left a number of big names back at home in favour of young talent like Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze.
WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?
The Three Lions’ management and the players themselves will look to put behind the murmurs surrounding the ‘brokenness’ of their camp as they look to take on Slovenia in their final group stage match on June 25.