England players’ families caught in crossfire of Southgate backlash and showered with beer at Euros

England players’ families were soaked “from all angles” when caught in the crossfire of fans throwing plastic beer cups  after the Euro 2024 draw against Slovenia on Tuesday.

Gareth Southgate had cups thrown in his direction just after the final whistle of the draw at Cologne Stadium but other drinks were launched from the upper tier which inadvertently landed in the section reserved for the families and friends of players.

While the family section was not deliberately targeted by fans showing their frustration as England wrapped up their group stage, it still led to players checking on their loved ones to make sure they were OK.

England had finished top of Group C but Southgate admitted improvement was needed after narrow victory against Serbia and draws against Denmark and the Slovenians.

“My brother was hit, [and] a few others,” said England defender Ezri Konsa. “I spoke to him after, I asked him how he was and he said he was fine. It was to the right, it wasn’t directly behind the goal, but it was coming from all angles.

“We check on them. There’s kids in the stands with family so we always have to check on them, reassure them and ask if they’re all right. But it’s part of the game.

“It wasn’t nice. But there’s a lot of players with a lot of experience who have experienced it before at club level. We know what to expect from fans. Sometimes it’s always up and down. It’s part of the game.”

After being targeted by fans, Southgate insisted after the Slovenia draw that he would take the criticism but players should not be targeted. He also spoke of fears that players could end up not enjoying international call-ups, which has been a problem in previous eras.

Southgate held a meeting after the win over Serbia to talk about the scrutiny they were under, after the criticism they received despite their victory. After the draw against Denmark there was further fall-out, with BBC presenter Gary Lineker called the display “s---” on a podcast.

After the draw in Cologne, photos emerged of the section of the stadium for families, with some upset at the missiles being thrown from the upper tier. England next face Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday, although the unsavoury incident at the end of the last match has not been discussed by the squad.

“We were aware of it because I think some of our family members got hit with a few drinks,” added Konsa. “We were aware but we haven’t spoken about it as players.”

While some fans were upset with the draw on Tuesday, there was also huge support for the team during the second half of the stalemate. Jude Bellingham insisted the bad reaction was from a minority and that the support inside the stadium gave him energy to finish the game against Slovenia.

“You draw on them for energy towards the end of games,” he said. “At the end of the last game I was absolutely dead but you hear them singing and chanting. You can play at a level not at our best, which can happen but the important when you are wearing the badge, representing the fans to not give up. It is a constant reminder of that.

“I know there is a lot of negativity outside the stadium and the camp but I feel when you get inside the stadium it is so different. It is important as team-mates and a team we remember the ones in the stadium are the ones that are going to give us the energy so don’t worry about the ones that aren’t there. We have to use that energy and that feeling we get from them to be successful in this tournament.”