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THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2016 19 Bale and brawl fears stalk England in Lens CHANTILLY: England face the twin threats of a dis- hand on Saturday when Russia’s fans charged their “Aaron Ramsey, another player who’s very talent- qualification warning if their fans misbehave and a English counterparts at the final whistle, but they are ed. So we can’t just put all our focus on Gareth and FAN FERVOR super-motivated Gareth Bale ahead of their Euro 2016 doing their best to deflect attention from the issue. then get sucker-punched by one of their other good showdown with neighbors Wales in Lens today. The “The scenes weren’t nice to see at the end of the players.” Bale raised the temperature even before his bloody clashes between rival fans that marred game, but the people in charge will be dealing with team’s meeting with Slovakia, saying that England England’s opening 1-1 draw with Russia in Marseille at that,” said left-back Ryan Bertrand. “big themselves up before they’ve done anything” the weekend left Roy Hodgson’s side facing the threat Of equal concern to Hodgson will be the danger and that Wales play with “more passion and pride”. It of elimination from European governing body UEFA. posed by Real Madrid forward Bale, whose stunning drew a rebuke from Hodgson, who described the England midfielder Adam Lallana said that such an 25-yard free-kick against Slovakia in Bordeaux set remarks as “disrespectful”, but Bale is standing by outcome would be “devastating” and Hodgson and Wales on their way to a 2-1 win. With England having what he said. “It’s good that they bit,” Bale told a press team captain Wayne Rooney have released a video dropped points against Russia, a second Group B conference in Dinard on Tuesday. “I really don’t care message pleading for calm. But with England and defeat would seriously compromise their chances of what they say, to be honest. We know we’re a good Wales fans having been advised to base themselves remaining in the competition, as well as propelling team and we know we can beat them on our day.” in nearby Lille, where Russia play Slovakia on Wales into the last 16. Lallana, a former Southampton Asked how many England players would get into Wednesday, the build-up to the game will be team-mate of Bale’s, says that England must avoid the Wales team, he grinned: “None.” Wales manager wreathed with tension. Police numbers will be boost- giving away “silly fouls” around the box, but he Chris Coleman has a fitness concern over goalkeeper ed in Lens, an industrial city in northern France, with believes it would be foolish to focus all their attention Wayne Hennessey, whose absence due to a back 2,400 security personnel on the streets. Extra officers on the Welsh number 11. spasm against Slovakia saw 22-year-old Liverpool are being deployed from Britain to provide support, player Danny Ward make his first start. Joe Ledley and while a ban on alcohol sales has been announced and BULLISH BALE Hal Robson-Kanu are both pushing for starting roles all local schools will be closed. “You don’t want to leave your team too vulnerable after coming off the bench against Slovakia, the latter The Football Association and Football Association on the counter-attack with players like Gareth Bale scuffing in a raucously celebrated 81st-minute win- of Wales have both urged fans without tickets not to playing, the strengths and the quality that he has. But ner. Raheem Sterling’s place may be under threat for attend, but despite Lens’s Stade Bollaert-Delelis hold- it’s not a one-man show,” said the Liverpool midfield- England after a poor display on the left flank against ing only 35,000 fans, between 40,000 and 50,000 er. “They’ve got plenty of other good players. I’ve got Russia. England’s failure to kill the game off, mean- British supporters are expected to descend on the the pleasure of playing with Joe Allen. I know what a while, could open the door for Daniel Sturridge or city. England’s players witnessed the violence first- talented player he is. Jamie Vardy. — AFP France floods Lille with police as Russian, English fans arrive Alcohol ban keeps city calm for now LILLE: Thousands of Russia and England fans arrived in Lille yesterday as the French government said it was flooding the city with police ahead of their teams’ next Euro 2016 matches. France is des- perate to avoid a repeat of the violence that marred the England-Russia match in Marseille on Saturday, and authorities in Lille have banned the sale and public consumption of alcohol and stepped up security in the northern city. Although the teams will not meet again in the group stage, they play their next matches just a few miles apart. Rival supporters are sure to meet in Lille, where trains from England arrive and fan zones have set up for those without tickets. After minor scuffles near the train station on Tuesday evening, Lille was calm at lunchtime ahead of Russia’s match against Slovakia there later in the day and the England-Wales clash in nearby Lens today. Both Russia and England have been threatened with expulsion from the competition after hundreds of fans clashed for three days in Marseille, drawing volleys of teargas from riot police who struggled to contain the skirmishes. “Today, the meas- ure is very simple: flood the public space with police so that there is no room for any form of hooliganism,” Sports Minister Patrick Kanner told RTL radio. Unlike in Marseille, where fans were able to drink for hours on end, they struggled to do so in Lille and Lens due to a blanket liquor ban imposed until Friday, closing bars and cafes and stopping shops and petrol sta- LILLE: A supporter is searched by a steward at the stadium entrance prior to the Euro 2016 Group B soccer match tions selling alcohol. between Russia and Slovakia at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d’Ascq, near Lille, France, yesterday. — AP Party also been drafted in for the Russia-Slovakia dozen riot police vans were parked. has acknowledged that stewarding was Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said match, which is the first that has not been “The prefect has forbidden drinking not up to scratch and it said that the he did “not have any certainty that disorder sold out at the tournament. Some 40,000 alcohol in the streets, carrying alcohol, number of stewards in the stadium involving Russian fans will not be repeated,” English fans are expected in Lens for today’s bottles and cans. Today and tomorrow it’s would be increased by about 10 to 20 and blamed England fans for provoking the match. “It’s a party, and our job is to make a forbidden.” Security has also been tight- percent. High-risk matches have on aver- trouble. Mutko called UEFA’s decision to fine good party. But if you have violence, we are ened inside the stadium after Russian age about 1,000 stewards. UEFA said they his side and give it an official warning over ready to fight against this violence,” local supporters charged their English rivals in would be deployed differently to ensure violence inside the stadium in Marseille police chief Olivier Dimpre told Reuters out- Marseille’s Stade Velodrome at the end of supporters from both sides are properly “excessive”. About 4,000 police officers have side Flandres train station, where about a Saturday’s 1-1 draw. Soccer body UEFA segregated.— Reuters Germany focus on Poland for emotional Paris return PARIS: Old rivalries and fresh memories face were forced to spend a traumatic night in the dress- on their road to France. “Lewandowski is a top strik- Germany when they return to the Stade de France in ing rooms at France’s national stadium when a series er,” Boateng said. “At the club, we play together, but Paris to face familiar foes Poland in a crucial Euro 2016 of jihadist attacks across Paris left 130 dead on a we had often played against each other before and clash just seven months after being caught up in last night they faced the French in a friendly. we’ll certainly come up against each other this time November’s terror attacks in Paris. Die Mannschaft Loud explosions could be heard during the as well.” Boateng, though, was keen to stress that match as three suicide bombers unsuccessfully Germany can’t obsess over Lewandowski if they are attempted to get into the stadium before blowing to build on their opening 2-0 win over Ukraine with themselves up outside and killing one man. German Ajax’s Arkadiusz Milik, who scored the winner Matches on TV defender Jerome Boateng, who was in the world against Northern Ireland, also a clear threat. (Local Timings) champions’ team that night, caused a stir when he “It’s important that we get a win in the second announced his wife and five-year-old twins would game, we know Poland well and it won’t be easy, but UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP not be travelling to France to watch him play with our playing qualities, I am positive that we can because he believed “the risk is simply too big.” decide the game for ourselves. “Of course, we have England v Wales 16:00 However, Boateng insists Germany will not be to be careful, they have good people in attack, not beIN MAX 2 HD spooked by their return to Paris as they look to take just Lewandowski.” Germany have a stunning record beIN MAX 3 HD EN a firm grip of Group C.

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