At 03:00 on July 11, the Euro semi-final between the Netherlands and England. Prior to the match, England’s manager, Southgate, attended a press conference.
About the Referee
“Everyone knows how I treat referees, I show complete respect to every referee. The two officials in charge of the refereeing program for UEFA also respect our approach. I’m not worried or concerned about who the referee is, because I know they will be of very high quality, that’s how UEFA makes these decisions.”
About Luke Shaw
“Luke Shaw has been out injured for four months, only in the last game did he have the possibility to play and made a good contribution. We have to decide if he’s ready to start, but we’re very pleased to have him back. He brings balance to us, but Trippier has also done very well. He has experienced many important nights with us over the past seven to eight years. He performs excellently within the team, and we are very fortunate to have a player like him in our squad.”
About Making Changes
“Every change we make is for different reasons. We were happy with the team’s performance in the previous games, but we made substitutions at halftime, which wasn’t pre-planned. You’re always considering the team’s energy and balance, and whether changes will improve the team. But all players enter the game in good form. The game guides us in a certain direction, which will help us make decisions.”
More Dutch Fans than English Fans
“One great thing about this tournament is the atmosphere inside the stadiums, which gives our players a different experience compared to the last three tournaments. It adds a different feel, a different intensity to the matches. I’m sure our fans will make their voices heard. My memories of playing against the Netherlands in an ocean of orange are vivid, these are the kind of matches we want to be involved in. You live for these tournaments, it’s where you showcase yourself.”
About the Criticism from Outside
“For years, one of our advantages was having less fear, showing less restraint, but in the early stages of the competition, expectations were very high, and the criticism from outside has never been so loud. We didn’t quite get ourselves into the right mindset. Ultimately, what was impressive was that we hung in there, found a way to win. I think the game against Switzerland changed things, you saw a freer version of us on the pitch.”