ENGLAND’S EURO 2020 qualifier in Bulgaria was twice halted by racist chanting as they bounced back from a first qualifying defeat in 10 years with an emphatic 6-0 win in Sofia.
The visitors led 2-0 through early goals from Marcus Rashford and Ross Barkley when play was first stopped and an announcement made to supporters that the game could be suspended if offensive chanting continued.
Once restarted, England quickly made it 3-0 through Barkley before a second stoppage as Croatian referee Ivan Bebek held discussions with players and coaching staff from both sides.
Raheem Sterling then netted twice either side of half-time before Harry Kane rounded off the scoring to take England to the brink of qualification.
A comprehensive victory was the perfect riposte for Gareth Southgate’s men to their shock 2-1 defeat at the Czech Republic on Friday and opens up a three-point lead at the top of Group A.
However, the focus of attention was again on the stands as despite reassurances from Bulgarian manager Krasimir Balakov on the eve of the game, it was another England match blighted by racism from opposition fans.
After several English players suffered racist abuse in a qualifier away to Montenegro in March, Gareth Southgate had prepared his side to follow UEFA’s three-step protocol for reporting racist incidents that can lead to matches being abandoned.
A section of 5,000 seats at the Vasil Levski National Stadium was already closed for the game after racist incidents during games against Kosovo and the Czech Republic in June.
On the field, Southgate’s decision to make five changes from the side beaten in Prague on Friday was fully vindicated.
"It's been allowed to fester by UEFA & FIFA for many years.
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) October 14, 2019
"We've been trying to push UEFA to really punish these countries."
Brian Kerr, who is a director at @sariireland, criticises UEFA's punishment of racial abuse, following the scenes in Bulgaria tonight.#VMSport pic.twitter.com/gi5kYckWbr
Rashford was one of those recalled in the place of Jadon Sancho and put his Manchester United woes behind him by smashing the opener into the roof of the net after just seven minutes.
Barkley then tapped home a second at the back post after a fine one-two between Kane and Sterling freed the Manchester City winger to drive a cross to the Chelsea midfielder.
The first stage of UEFA’s protocol followed as the game was temporarily stopped and a warning played over the loudspeaker in both Bulgarian and English that the match could be suspended after monkey chants were aimed at England players.
That warning was not heeded as after Barkley headed home Kane’s cross, there was a second, longer stoppage in play.
When play did get back underway there were six minutes of stoppage time added and the visitors used it to increase their advantage.
A fine team move saw Kieran Trippier feed Kane, who crossed for Sterling to this time apply an easy finish.
Southgate’s men could have scored plenty more in the second-half against the dispirited hosts on a terrible night all round for Bulgarian football.
Sterling’s second arrived midway through the second-half with Kane again the creator before the England captain finally got on the scoresheet himself five minutes from time.
England have now scored 26 goals in six qualifiers, but Kosovo’s victory over Montenegro in the other game in Group A delayed their automatic qualification for next summer’s Euros.
The 2018 World Cup semi-finalists just need one more win from their final two qualifiers against Montenegro and Kosovo.
Ryan Bailey steps into the presenter’s chair where he’s joined by Murray Kinsella and Eoin Toolan on the line for Japan to tee up one of the biggest, if not the biggest week in Irish rugby: a World Cup quarter-final against back-to-back champions New Zealand.
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What the Fuch is wrong with people!!
@Harry Corry: a lot, sadly
@Harry Corry: to call them people would be to humanize them. Disgusting lot, 6 point deduction and remainder of home games behind closed doors. Third Bulgarian game it has happened in.
@RabidHorizon: wouldn’t be enough. Make them play all qualifiers away from home, give the fans no home games for the next 6 years and see how that suits them.
Kick them out of football for 10 years, no place for racism
@dan o keeffe: absolutely, until there is real punishments countries like Bulgaria and others won’t take threats seriously
@dan o keeffe: Judging by their team 10 year ban or not they’re not gonna be troubling anyone qualifying for a while, shame as its overshadowed a fantastic win for England
@dan o keeffe: If you saw Bulgaria’s captain stand up to those racists on his own at half time you might change your mind. Im not saying that they shouldn’t get a ban, but these countries need to enforce laws so FIFA don’t have to punish the teams and players themselves. Fans in these countries should require some sort of permits to buy tickets.
@Johnny Mads: I agree i saw that, and fair dues to him as captain but if teams are banned supporters might show some respect then for their players and maybe behave themselves
@dan o keeffe: I honestly don’t think so, as they aren’t actual football fans. They’ve no respect for anyone. Just look at all the real Bulgaria fans staring at this ‘mob’ as they left the stadium. Shame. But you’re right that something drastic has to be done to at least try.
Disgraceful behaviour by those so called fans. But doesn’t something similar happen to James MacLean regularly in England. That is equally disgraceful and that should be punished too
@Decko49: James McLean doesn’t get racially abused. It’s not the same thing
@Gary O’Hanlon: Read the lost again. I never said he was racially abused. I said he suffered something similar. He gets lots of abuse for not wearing the poppy and because he’s Irish.
Can anyone tell me how they managed to get those racists to leave the stadium so easliy?
Did the president ring in a threat on the lot of them or what?
Video below: https://twitter.com/VMSportIE/status/1183829806388932608?s=20
@Johnny Mads: I think that group of fans dicided after the game been halted, that they made there point and left of there own accord!!
@jerry kennedy: Either that or they headed outside the stadium to plan more trouble after the game. Clear minority runining for the rest as usual. Can’t be that hard for Bulgaria to come down on them heavy if they really wanted to !
@Johnny Mads: I’d say once they’re challenged they show they have no backbone.
https://twitter.com/Irishchaz47/status/1183829437030289409?s=19
English fans are Angels
Lets be fair,everyone on first hearing the story about the chants,were not sure which set of fans were doing the chanting ! No high moral ground for the three lions im afraid.
@Gerry Campbell: Harsh. There wouldn’t be any of that in travelling England fans. Not saying they’re a nice bunch of chaps or anything but..
@Gerry Campbell: aye – let’s just ignore what actually happened and let’s make judgement based on what you think could have happened! Out of interest, in your hypothetical world, what did you think the score was going to be? I have a losing bet on 4-1 so just want to see if I can go back to the bookies and tell them that Gerry Campbell thought that would be the result.