Three Lions decided to make racist fans ‘suffer’

JOR DA N He nde rson (right) revealed E n g l a n d ’s pl a y e r s were d r iven by the mot iv at ion to ma ke B u l ga r i a s uppor te r s “suffer” for the racist abuse they doled out to the Three Lions on Monday night.

There were two breaks in play during the Euro 2020 qualifier in Sofia after racist chanting was reported to the match officials, with England eventually running out 6-0 winners.

Following Uefa’s anti-racism protocols, an announcement was made in the 28th-minute warning fans that any further incidents could result in the match being abandoned, while another pause before half-time only added to the spectacle.

England decided at half-time to play the remainder of the game as braces from Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling and goals for Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane ensured a thumping win for the visitors.

While some questioned the decision of the visitors to play out the remainder of the qualifier, Henderson insisted the players had good reason to.

“It was disgusting,” the Liverpool midfielder said.

“It shouldn’t be happening and something needs to be done about it. But I thought the lads were outstanding and, if I was angry, I’m sure they were angry as well.

“I thought we let the football do the talking and we made them suffer, that is what we wanted to do.

“I obviously wasn’t happy with the situation that we were in, it wasn’t nice to be involved in and it shouldn’t be happening in 2019, it is very disappointing.

“But, at the same time, I felt as though, as a team, we dealt with it so well. We touched on it before we came here just in case it did happen and, unfortunately, it did.

“So we spoke together and the decision was that we carried on because if you leave the pitch and stop the game they win, really.

“That is how we looked at it, it is what the message was in the dressing room at half-time and we wanted to go out in the second half and make them suffer and make their team suffer on the pitch. I think we did that.”

“I thought our fans were brilliant,” he added.

“All night I thought they were outstanding, I just hope there was no trouble after the game and everyone got home safely and everything was OK.”

Uefa yesterday charged the Bulgarian Football Union with the racist behaviour, throwing of objects and disruption of a national anthem by their fans.

The English Football Association has also been charged with disruption of a national anthem, as well as providing an i nsufficient number of travelling stewards.