Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona has publicly condemned England's tactics and refereeing decisions in the Euro 2024 round of 16 match.
Slovakia led England 1-0 throughout the match, but had to suffer bitterly when Bellingham scored the equalizer in the 90+4 minute, then Harry Kane scored to help England successfully come back in the first minute of the half. extra.
The victory was so close and then lost, Slovakia officially stopped in the 1/8 round of Euro 2024. In the post-match interview, Slovakia coach - Mr. Francesco Calzona could not hide his disappointment and frustration. He did not hesitate to criticize Gareth Southgate's tactics as well as the referee's "unfair" way of controlling the match.
Regarding England's tactics, Calzona said: "The only thing I don't appreciate is the way England obstructed, wasting time with impunity."
He especially emphasized the actions of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to prolong the time in the final minutes of the match: "What I do not accept is that there is only one minute of extra time left, but their goalkeeper (Jordan Pickford) wasted a lot of time." a lot of time".
Regarding the referee's decisions, the Slovakian coach expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the Turkish referee team, led by Umut Meler, worked: "I don't like the referee, I don't like it at all. I'm not satisfied with the way the three referees behaved. They always came to our reserve area and ignored the rest of the bench. I really don't appreciate this."
However, Calzona also admitted that this was not the main reason why his team lost the match. He said: "Maybe we should be more active in marking people, but things have happened like this so I have to accept that."
Despite the defeat, Coach Calzona still expressed pride in the efforts of the Slovakian players: "I'm proud of my team. If we lose concentration at times, I will consider that when I review the match tomorrow, but for now I want to congratulate all my players."
This match marked the end of Slovakia's Euro 2024 journey. Despite an impressive performance and a near-upset, they were eliminated in the round of 16. Meanwhile, the victory saw England advance to the quarter-finals as one of the top contenders for the title.
Coach Calzona's statements after the match sparked debate about the referee's way of running the match as well as the England team's tactics. However, it cannot be denied that England showed bravery and the resilience to come back from a difficult match.
The Three Lions will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, the match will take place at Merkur Spielarena Stadium.