Topics: England, Football, Euro 2024, Declan Rice
Slovakia manager Francesco Calzona has revealed what sparked his furious exchange with Declan Rice - and criticised England for time wasting in their Euro 2024 last 16 match.
The Three Lions beat Slovakia 2-1 in Gelsenkirchen to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, where they will take on Switzerland.
Jude Bellingham's 95th-minute overhead kick took the game to extra time, before Harry Kane's header in the first minute of extra time was enough to secure victory.
There was one incident after the match, with Rice and Calzona involved in a row after the full-time whistle had been blown by the referee.
Calzona pushed Rice away from the match officials as he protested a decision, with a lip reader revealing what the Arsenal star said in response.
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The Italian manager subsequently confirmed that Rice apologised over the incident - before taking aim at England over what he perceived to be time-wasting tactics in the closing stages of extra time.
He complained: "I didn't like the way the England team were wasting time and not punished.
"Rice was supposed to go to the referees and leave. I had to speak to the refs and he wasn't leaving, he was carrying on. But then he apologised, and it was all fine.
"The disappointment is huge. But I feel more pride than disappointment. We almost won and advanced against the world class team.
"We tried very hard, we almost advanced, we failed to advance. In extra time, we spent half an hour in the opponent's half. I'm proud that we managed it this way and did such a great job.
"At that moment [the Bellingham goal], we should have been more aggressive in defending individual players. I didn't like the refereeing of the match - it's not why we lost. I am proud of our team."
The referee, Turkish official Halil Umut Meler, handed out five yellow cards to England and Slovakia players before half-time in Gelsenkirchen.
There was only one yellow card - to Slovakia - after the break, before another three Slovakian players were booked in extra time. Rice and Calzona, meanwhile, received no punishment following their exchange.
