Declan Rice and Slovakian manager Francesco Calzona got into a fight on Sunday night following the final whistle of England’s Euro 2024 last-16 victory.
Declan Rice was seething after being pushed by Slovakia boss Francesco Calzona (Image: ITV)
After Slovakia’s manager Francesco Calzona shoved him, Declan Rice unleashed a verbal barrage after England’s thrilling victory in the round of 16 on Sunday. The Three Lions emerged victorious in their thrilling 2-1 extra-time win, guaranteeing their place in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, where they will face Switzerland, who defeated current holders Italy 2-0 last weekend. The 25-year-old midfielder was crucial for the whole 120 minutes of play, but tensions escalated after the game when Calzona, clearly fuming, stormed towards the match officials to confront referee Umut Meler over his displeasure with the Turkish official’s calls.
When Rice appeared to try to step in during the full-time controversy, the Slovakian head coach reportedly shoved the England star hard, which infuriated the player. Another member of Calzona’s coaching staff then shoved Rice again.
Although it hasn’t been confirmed, Rice was heard yelling what appeared to be the words “bald c***” in Calzona’s direction as teammates Ivan Toney and Aaron Ramsdale helped him away from the altercation.
After the heated exchange had calmed down, Calzona shared his thoughts on it, saying: “Rice was meant to go to the referees and leave. He didn’t go; he continued speaking with the referees. However, after he apologised, everything was OK. The way the England squad was wasting time and getting away with it bothered me.
Rice preferred to concentrate on the win and Jude Bellingham’s performance rather than the controversy when speaking to the media after the game. He told BBC Sport, “It was a big moment for 21 years old; that takes a lot of guts.”
“People are unaware of the struggles one must overcome in order to cross the boundary. We are not competing with unseen opponents. They continued pursuing us; they are elite football players. For [the] 21-year-old, it was a momentous occasion that required a lot of bravery.
“People are unaware of the struggles one must overcome in order to cross the boundary. We are not competing with unseen opponents. They continued pursuing us; they are elite football players. It’s all about holding out for those times when we expanded the game and added more. I can’t say enough good things about the fans that we have tonight. I’m very happy that everyone could witness that.”
