Gareth: Fan behaviour is a big worry

GARETH Southgate and his England squad will be facing up to the “embarrassment” of playing behind closed doors against Italy in the Nations League next month as the Three Lions boss admits recent fan behaviour is a concern.

England play four group fixtures in June, with away games in Hungary and Germany followed up by the visit of Italy and the reverse match against the Hungarians.

The opening clash at the Puskas Arena will take place in front of an empty stadium on June 4 after racist incidents marred England’s last trip to Budapest.

England’s game against Italy will be behind closed doors at Molineux after the Football Association was hit with sanctions following crowd trouble when the two teams met at Wembley in the Euro 2020 final last summer.

The games come on the back of a domestic season which ended with a spate of highprofile pitch invasions across the country.

Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp was struck by a Nottingham Forest fan, while Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira was in an altercation with an Everton supporter, and Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen was mobbed as Manchester City followers flocked on to the pitch to celebrate their Premier League title win.

Asked if England got off leniently with a two-game ban on supporters, with one match suspended for 24 months, Southgate replied: “Well, we’re on a yellow card, aren’t we?

“So we are where we are, we’ve got the embarrassment now of playing behind closed doors at home. That’s not a good optic for our country.”

Southgate feels the recent incidents are systemic of growing issues within society but has called on football to address the problem before it dictates changes to the matchgoing experience.

“It is a concern,” he said. “There’s clearly a responsibility within football because when it is in our environment, we have got to do all we can to try and make sure it doesn’t happen.

“I think we all recognise that. But it’s a wider problem. It is behaviour and a reflection on where we are as a country at the moment.”