UEFA steps in as England WAGs forced to make changes for Euro 2024 final against Spain

The wives and girlfriends of England’s stars will take up positions in the neutral zone behind the dugouts as part of a heightened security operation ahead of the 2024 European Championship final against Spain on Sunday night.

During the Three Lions’ journey to the European Championship final, families were seated in separate sections throughout the stadiums.

But some were drenched in beer thrown at manager Gareth Southgate after the goalless draw with Slovenia in the group stage – including the brother of defender Ezri Konsa. “It came from all sides,” said the Aston Villa star.

And with 80,000 spectators expected at the Olympiastadion for the clash, UEFA has decided to place all family members in the same block at the end of a week in which ugly scenes at the Copa America have called into question the safety of the players’ loved ones.

Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez stormed into the stands after the Uruguay v Colombia match after his family was harassed by Colombia fans.

Meanwhile, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, National Lead for Football Policing, has praised England fans for their behaviour in Germany over the past month. A total of 66 England fans have been arrested during the tournament, but matches, including the high-priority opening match against Serbia, have passed off peacefully.

And Roberts, quoted by the Mail, said: “We estimate that there have been around 200,000 visitors to Germany during the tournament so far, and the vast majority of the England fans who have travelled have been extremely well behaved.

“Almost everyone who travelled had tickets for matches, and England fans have filled at least half the stadium capacity at every venue the team has played.”

However, the UK’s top football police officer said the beer-throwing scenes underlined why the organisation remains opposed to allowing alcohol consumption near a pitch during domestic matches.

He added: “We have also seen numerous examples of fans, family members and officials being under the influence of alcohol during matches. This has confirmed our position that drinking in the stands should not be permitted at matches in the UK.

“At the moment, fans can have a drink in the concourse before the match and, if they wish, during half-time, which is a sensible balance for everyone.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time. If you’re curious, you can check out our Privacy declaration.