The English Football Association have released a statement condemning the actions of some England fans in Seville, after a number of supporters were involved in clashes with riot police ahead of the UEFA Nations League clash against Spain.
As reported by the BBC, Three Lions fans caused chaos in the southern Spanish city last night, with video footage showing some supporters damaging parked vehicles and causing havoc in the streets. Riot police reportedly fired warning shots into the air in order to disperse the gathering groups of troublemakers.
The FA moved swiftly to condemn the behaviour of the supporters involved, and their statement read: “We condemn the unacceptable behaviour witnessed in Seville. With the Spain fixture still to come on Monday night, we urge those following the team to respect our hosts and act in a responsible manner.”
“We will sanction any England Supporters’ Travel Club member found to be responsible for disorder.”
The clashes in Spain are an unpleasant reminder of the poor reputation England fans have garnered for their behaviour abroad, with a minority of supporters repeatedly causing disruption before and after matches. While the 2018 World Cup was by and large a success with no major fan violence, Three Lions supporters were involved in trouble last March in the Netherlands.
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On the pitch, England will be looking to find the cutting edge sorely lacking in their previous outing against Croatia, where a host of missed opportunities saw them play out a 0-0 draw with the 2018 World Cup finalists. Gareth Southgate’s side are currently second in their UEFA Nations League group, five points behind run-away leaders Spain.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Spain veteran Sergio Ramos has claimed that England captain Harry Kane’s technical ability has surprised a lot of his opponents. The divisive defender claimed he hadn’t been taken aback by the Tottenham Hotspur man’s quick feet, and that he was confident of ensuring Kane‘s England goal drought continues on Tuesday evening.