Gareth Southgate urges England fans NOT to boo Italian anthem during Euro 2020 final as he says 'respect the opposition'
GARETH Southgate has urged England fans NOT to boo the Italian national anthem at the Euro 2020 final tomorrow.
The gaffer encouraged fans at Wembley to do the right thing and “respect” the country’s anthem ahead of the crunch clash.
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Over 60,000 fans will have Wembley rocking tomorrow night as Harry Kane leads the Three Lions into their first tournament final since 1966.
Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the final, Southgate told reporters: “It's important our fans always respect the opposition.
"We know that when we play abroad and fans boo our anthem it inspires them more. I don't think it will help the team.
"We can intimidate the team booing during the game, but it is different for the anthem."
It comes after a string of sports stars condemned the minority of fans who booed the Danish national anthem on Wednesday night before the semi-final clash.
Writing on Twitter, ex-England striker and BBC presenter Gary Lineker urged fans not to boo the Italian anthem, titled “Il Canto degli Italiani”, as it was an “absolute belter”.
He added that it was “rude, disrespectful and utterly classless”.
Jeers were also heard when the German anthem was played at Wembley last week, when England beat Joachim Loew's side in the round of 16.
Elsewhere in tonight's press conference, Southgate said the team's sole focus was on "bringing the trophy home".
He added: "We're in a final and we're here to win. Now we want to go and bring the trophy home."
Captain Harry Kane said he was determined to deliver for the fans.
He said: "That is the challenge now. We have been knocking down barriers on the way but we have to out there and win it.
"To see the fans on the street and see the reception we have had, it has just shown us how big of an occasion it is.
"We know how much it means to the English fans so we are proud to be representing them and hopefully we can do them proud tomorrow night."
The Three Lions will kick off against Italy at 8pm tomorrow.
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