England fans with tickets to the quarter final with Ukraine in Rome today blasted quarantine rules that will prevent them from going despite being double-jabbed or testing negative for Covid-19 – with expats now being urged to get to The Eternal City for Saturday to cheer on the team.
Supporters living in Britain can enter Italy but will be ordered to self-isolate for five days, meaning even if someone flew in this morning they would not be allowed out until Sunday – after the match is over.
The only way you are likely to avoid the isolation requirement is to prove that you are in Italy for ‘work, health or an emergency’ – as irate fans pointed out Uefa dignitaries will be given a quarantine exemption when they travel to London for the semi-final and final.
To English Football Association will make it easy for the 30,000 or so Brits living in Italy post-Brexit to get tickets through the UK embassy in Rome.
And in a chink of hope that the 70,000 seater Stadio Olimpico in Rome could still be packed with England fans, the 1.2million UK-born people living in the EU can head to The Eternal City for the match at 8pm on Saturday as long as they have not been to Britain over the past 14 days.
Conor Garratt wrote: ‘I have tickets to the QF in Rome on Saturday night – you know, the one England will be in, once they beat Germany tomorrow. Won’t be going, as Italy has put in a 5-day quarantine’.
Karl Dolling tweeted: ‘Gutted that the government and all this covid b*****ks means I can’t go to Rome on Saturday. Fingers crossed back to Wembley on Wednesday’.
Another fan called Warren said: ‘I’ve got two tickets for England’s QF in Rome on Saturday. I can’t go because there’s a 5 day mandatory quarantine for entering Italy from the UK. I am so f**king done with this s**t now’.
Nottslad66 tweeted: ‘So England fans cannot travel to Rome but all the important vips can come to London with no quarantine how the f**k does that work’.
The ban means that up to 30million are expected to watch the match with Ukraine at home or in pubs and bars across the country.
Travel guru Paul Charles said that England fans in the EU have a chance to support their team.
He told MailOnline: ‘If you live in Europe, or are staying/holidaying in Europe, then as long as you haven’t been in the UK in the 14 days before you arrive in Italy, then you can go to the stadium if you have a ticket’.
He added: ‘Fans in England can go to Italy, but have to quarantine in their accommodation for 5 days. If they can stay near the stadium in Rome, perhaps with a balcony, they can soak up the atmosphere but not go into the stadium’.
Today the nation is in euphoric mood after beating the old enemy Germany for the first time in a knockout match since winning the World Cup in 1966.
Prince William and Kate hailed England’s ‘incredible performance’ as lucky royal mascot Prince George saw the Three Lions crush Germany 2-0 at his first international football match.
Gareth Southgate’s squad are now preparing to take on Ukraine in the Euro 2020 quarter-final in Rome on Saturday – after an estimated 25 million fans across Britain watched Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane clinch the win in Wembley Stadium on Tuesday night.
Last night’s match marked England’s first major victory over Germany since the 1966 World Cup final, ending 55 years of heartache for the Three Lions.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George joined 45,000 jubilant fans at Wembley Stadium to watch manager Southgate’s fine-tuned side run rings around German captain Manuel Neuer’s team in a superb display of resilience and perseverance.
After the match, the couple took to their official Twitter account to praise England’s ‘incredible performance’.
The England squad will now head to Rome to play Ukraine after the foreign team narrowly beat Sweden 1-0 in the last minute of extra time. The team and their coaches are exempt from a five-day quarantine, but other UK arrivals are not.
Waves of rapturous applause filled Wembley Stadium as Manchester City’s Sterling first slotted the ball home, breaking a 0-0 first-half deadlock. Kane swiftly followed up with a neat header – sending his thrilled teammates piling on their captain in celebration as chants of ‘it’s coming home’ filled the stadium.
Young Prince George was seen watching the match close to his avid football fan father Prince William, with the pair wearing matching suits and England ties. The Duke of Cambridge dotingly explained every twist and turn of the nail-biting match to his son – who is named after the patron saint of England – as they beamed from their box.
Football Association president William threw his fists into the air as his wife Kate clapped demurely when the final whistle blew.
In fan zones across the country – including in Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and London – overjoyed supporters were seen screaming as they celebrated.
While the number of fans at Wembley on Tuesday night was still just over half of its normal 90,000 capacity, it marked the biggest crowd at an event seen since the pandemic began last year.
The last time England beat out the Germans in the knockout phase of a major football tournament was when Bobby Moore lifted the World Cup in 1966.
The match kicked off to a nail-biting start, with West Ham player Declan Rice handed a yellow card in the first ten minutes.
And, just seconds before the half time whistle was blown, England captain Harry Kane had the ball robbed from him with the Germany goal wide open after a brilliant run by Raheem Sterling.
England fans cannot go to Rome for Euros quarter-final due to Covid rules – but an army of expats might step in
England fans with tickets to the quarter final with Ukraine in Rome today blasted quarantine rules that prevent them going despite being double-jabbed or testing negative for Covid-19
Prince George watched as England crushed Germany 2-0 at his first international football match – as an estimated 25 million fans tuned in to watch the Three Lions storm to a glorious victory (the team, celebrating) on the pitch
Prince George watched as England crushed Germany 2-0 at his first international football match – as Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane put the Three Lions into the Euro quarters finals
The Cambridges head home to Kensington Palace after a historic win for England last night
And, in fan zones across the country – including in Manchester, Birmingham and London – overjoyed supporters were seen screaming as they celebrated
England fans are seen cheering in rainy Trafalgar Square Fan Zone in London they celebrated their side’s win in the Euro 2020 match against Germany
German fans look close to tears as they watch their side lose at The New Crown British Pub in Iserlohn, Germany
The second half saw Germany step up their play, but they still proved no match for Southgate’s side – with a fantastic save by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from Chelsea’s Kai Havertz.
The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers when fan-favourite Jack Grealish replaced Bukayo Saka in the 68th minute, in a moved hoped to spark England’s side into their first goal.
England midfielder Declan Rice added: ‘It’s incredible. It is history. All the players were asked about the past games, but we created history.’ It took 74 minutes for Sterling to score the first goal and send the country into rapture.
As Germany pressed for an equaliser and fans’ nerves began fraying, captain Kane headed England into a 2-0 lead with five minutes to start pandemonium in the stands.
Summing up the mood of the nation, BBC commentator Guy Mowbray said: ‘All around this famous stadium, it is fevered, frenzied excitement. This is one of the landmark football moments that don’t come around too often.’
At the final whistle, the England players hugged each other as the significance of what they had achieved began to sink in.
After the match, Kane said: ‘There isn’t anything bigger than this when the expectation is on and we delivered, so we should be proud but we can’t stop here. We have a vision of where we want to go and we can’t stop now. Hopefully we’ll be back here in the semi-finals and the final.’
Jack Grealish took to Twitter to react after his team won. He wrote: ‘England 2-0 Germany! What a day. Fans were UNBELIEVABLE.’
As jubilant supporters celebrated – with thousands pouring out onto the streets in Three Lions jerseys – roads were left eerily deserted.
Millions tuned in to watch the highly anticipated game, with pubs and bars packed out with fans who stayed on to celebrate.
After the match, England boss Southgate revealed he had told the players after the game that he must be the ‘party-pooper’.
The win is a personal triumph for the manager, whose missed penalty in the semi-final of Euro 96 – also at Wembley – sent the Germans through.
‘It’s a brilliant afternoon,’ Southgate told BBC Sport. ‘We talked about bringing enjoyment to the nation really and afternoons like this are what that’s about.
‘The players were absolutely immense, right the way through the team and the fans were as well. Only 40,000, but it’s as good an atmosphere as I can remember at Wembley.
‘We played extremely well. I think we deserved the win, but I’ve had to say to them (the players) straight away, look, ‘I’m the party-pooper because if we don’t capitalise on that on Saturday now, then it doesn’t count for anything’.’
Southgate was full of praise for both his goalscorers Sterling and Kane.
‘Raheem, well they both have to constantly, has to prove people wrong all the time and Raheem has been immense for us over three, four years,’ Southgate said told the BBC.
‘He knows we’ve got faith in him, we’ve got that trust in him and his performances have been electric, right from the start.
‘For Harry it was a really important moment I think. When you’re a centre-forward it doesn’t matter what else you’re doing in the game, you need those goals and I was pleased to see the second one go in I have to say.’
Southgate was asked if his side’s win helped ease the memory of his penalty shoot-out miss in 1996.
The former England defender said: ‘I’m just so pleased. I was looking at the big screen and I saw David Seaman up there, the teammates that played with me, I can’t change that, so that’s always going to hurt.
‘But what’s lovely is we’ve given people another day to remember and now we’ve got to go and do it in Rome.’
Among those fans celebrating were the Cambridges, Prince George, Ed Sheeran and David Beckham who all attended the match
Young Prince George was seen watching the match with his avid football fan father Prince William, with the pair wearing matching suits and FA ties. The Duke of Cambridge dotingly explained every twist and turn of the nail-biting match to his son, who beamed from their box
The young prince looked ecstatic as he cheered on England during the match at Wembley
Prince William pointed out features of the pitch to his son, as the pair watched the game in identical suits and ties
England fan celebrate in Boxpark, Croydon after England’s Harry Kane scored their second goal
England fans in Manchester react after Raheem Sterling scored the first goal in UEFA European Championship game against Germany
Players, fans and pundits alike reacted on social media after England scored a triumphant win against Germany at Wembley
As thousands celebrated the victory, the roads stood eerily still following England’s first knockout tournament win against Germany in 55 years
There wasn’t a car in sight on Westminster Bridge in London (above) or the A14 near Cambridge as the match began at 5pm yesterday
Goal scorer Sterling celebrates with his child following England’s victory in the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship match against Germany
England football fans celebrate the opening goal in the England vs Germany game at the Luna Springs in Digbeth, Birmingham
Fans were seen celebrating inside the stadium. England achieved a 2-0 victory over Germany
England fans celebrate during the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match between England and Germany at the 4TheFans fan park in Manchester
Fans watch the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match between England and Germany at the Vinegar Yard pub in London
Supporters celebrate the second England goal as England play Germany for a place in the Euro 2020 Quarter Finals at the 4TheFans Fan Park at Event City in Manchester
German fans looked close to tears as they watched their team lose at the The New Crown British Pub in Iserlohn, Germany
German fans held their heads in their hands and drowned their sorrows in beer as they watched their side lose
German fans – who painted their faces in their country’s colours in anticipation – looked heartbroken after their team lost
One woman is seen with her hands on her head in disbelief as she watched from a pub in Palma de Mallorca
A crowd of German supporters attending a public viewing of the match at a beer garden in Berlin were downtrodden after their loss
On the pitch, England’s squad huddled together to celebrate after they beat Germany 2-0 at Wembley
The huge volumes of England fans at Wembley no-doubt pushed the team towards their triumphant win
England fans at the Trafalgar Square Fan Zone in London were seen celebrating their side’s win against Germany
There were scenes of celebration as England fans cheered. The Three Lions took home a 2-0 win against Germany
At the 4TheFans fan park in Manchester, fans screamed as they celebrated England’s win while wearing football jerseys and draped in flags
Kate Middleton and Prince William were seen speaking to David Beckham during the Germany v England match
Street parties broke out in Leeds as locals celebrated England’s win against Germany
Crowds gathered on the streets as they cheered for England after their win against Germany at Wembley
In Leeds, beer was thrown into the air as crowds cheered for England after they beat Germany during the match
Locals in Leeds celebrated England’s win with drinks outside a pub. England won their Euros 2020 clash with Germany
Locals in Leeds smiled as they posed for pictures while celebrating England’s 2020 win against Germany
At Newcastle’s Times Square, fans waved flags as they posed in England colours after their team won the match
Fans cheered as they ran down the road in celebration of England’s 2-0 win over Germany
One woman wearing an England jersey cheers as she celebrates her team’s win after the game in Leeds
Fans embrace each other as they cheer on England after their triumphant win in Wembley
One man is seen screaming as he cheers on his team at Boxpark in Croydon. Huge crowds gathered to watch
Supporters were seen cheering and screaming as they celebrated England’s 2-0 win against Germany
One woman screams as she poses for a picture at the 4TheFans fan park in Manchester after the match
Fans were over the moon with the win. Some are pictured hugging from inside their socially-distanced area at the 4TheFans Fan Park at Event City
Supporters are seen celebrating the first England goal at the 4TheFans Fan Park at Event City
The seven-year-old future king watched with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as Manchester City’s Sterling (pictured) first slotted the ball home during England’s titanic clash with its old rival at Wembley Stadium
Moments later, England captain Kane (pictured) headed the ball into the goal, with his side holding off Germany captain Manuel Neuer’s team all the way to the final whistle
Prince William, Prince George and Kate Middleton are seen watching the match from the stands
Prince William is seen cheering after England scored against Germany – as his wife Kate Middleton and son George watch on
England fans were left biting their nails after the first half of their sides Euros clash against Germany ended in 0-0 – with captain Harry Kane missing a golden chance in the final seconds
Germany captain Manuel Neuer’s team joined England players in taking the knee before the fixture
Following the win, celebrities shared their delight on social media.
Piers Morgan tweeted: ‘My God … it really might be coming home.’
The former Good Morning Britain host also shared a picture from Gareth Southgate’s penalty miss at Euro 96 at Wembley against Germany and contrasted it to a joyous snap of the England manager from Tuesday’s match.
‘Redemption,’ he wrote.
David Baddiel and Frank Skinner – who famously sang England anthem Three Lions – were also at Wembley and belted out the song alongside the other joyous supporters.
After the game, Baddiel shared a beaming picture alongside Olympic hero Mo Farah and wrote: ‘Might be coming home a bit faster with this lovely fellow on hand.’
A tweet from Ant and Dec’s official account read: ‘This … is … AMAZING!!! A.’
Former England captain Wayne Rooney wrote on Instagram: ‘Get in. Come on @england. Well done lads.’
Jack Grealish has been dropped in favour of Kieran Trippier in the only major change by England boss Gareth Southgate. Pictured: The England squad ahead of Tuesday’s game
The teams – with Germany’s squad on the right and England on the left – stand on the pitch prior to the match
Former Spice Girl Geri Horner said: ‘Come on England! Well done.’
Comedian John Bishop tweeted: ‘Well that was satisfying … ‘
Prime Minister Boris Johnson shared a picture showing him celebrating Kane’s decisive goal.
He wrote: ‘Well done England! We’re all behind you – bring it home!’
Meanwhile, fans also shared their joy at England’s triumph. Anthony Robinson, 34 – who lives in London and works in finance – watched the match with his mother Sue Bedding, 59, at the fan zone in Trafalgar Square.
Ms Bedding, an NHS worker, said she had come down from her home city of Nottingham so she could watch the match with her son.
Mr Robinson said: ‘I feel ecstatic. You’ve got to be optimistic about things like this. In the first 15 to 20 minutes it didn’t look like anything was going to happen, but the second half was brilliant.
‘The atmosphere here was crazy. We’re definitely pleased we came here to watch it. We were going to go to a pub to watch it but just thought, if England win it, to be here to watch it in Trafalgar Square is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s the next best thing to going to Wembley.
‘The fact that we managed to win it in 90 minutes too and didn’t have to go to penalties is incredible.’
Ms Bedding said: ‘I’m made up, it’s been an absolutely brilliant night. I remember the ’96 match and I was completely gutted when we lost. So now I’m quite optimistic for the rest of the Euros.’
Following the Germany result, bookmakers Coral made England 2-1 favourites to win the tournament, cutting the Three Lions from 9-2.
Earlier, Neuer’s team joined England players in taking the knee before the fixture in a stand against racism.
The protest act has been mired in controversy throughout the tournament, with the FA fearing unhappy crowds would boo players. But any discontent from spectators was drowned out by loud cheering from both sides on Tuesday.
The teams’ national anthems were a different story, with boos ringing out from the England-heavy crowd as Germany’s anthem played.
Both England captain Kane and his German counterpart Neuer wore rainbow armbands in support of Pride month during the showdown.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen watching the England v Germany match along with his wife Carrie
Manuel Neuer and Antonio Ruediger of Germany applaud after the national anthem prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Round of 16 match between England and Germany
Capacity at Wembley Stadium doubled to 45,000 with England given the home advantage – although this is still just over half of its normal 90,000 capacity
England fans show their support on Wembley Way prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match against Germany
England players inspect the pitch ahead of the epic clash. Millions of fans will now be glued to their screens for the historic clash, with some no doubt well-refreshed after hitting the pub at 7am to grab a table
The game was soon off to a nail-biting start, with West Ham player Declan Rice given a yellow card in the first ten minutes (fans are seen reacting during the match)
Fans are seen cheering in the stadium. It marks the biggest crowd seen since the pandemic began last year
Kate, William and George were seen clapping during the match. They were seated in front of Ed Sheeran and David Beckham
Ed Sheeran greets David Beckham in the Royal Box at Wembley Stadium. They were seated a few rows behind the Royals
Ed Sheeran is seen speaking to David Beckham’s family while watching the match. They were seated a few rows behind Prince William and Kate Middleton
Ellie Goulding and Caspar Jopling are seen watching the match at Wembley. They join a star-studded cohort who turned out
Prince William is seen talking to David Beckham as they watched the match. Beckham was joined by his son
A woman is seen holding her hands to her mouth as the game kicks off to a nail-biting start on Tuesday evening
Fans are seen gathering in Boxpark, Croydon, during the match this evening. They are socially distanced to limit the spread of Covid
England football fans celebrate outside Wembley Stadium ahead of the match against Germany
Fans in Hastings kiss a Gareth Southgate cardboard cutout before they watch the UEFA Euro 2020 match against Germany
Gareth Southgate, head coach of England Steve Holland and assistant manager of England Graeme Jones stand for the national anthem
Fans are seen cheering while watching the England vs Germany game at the Luna Springs in Digbeth, Birmingham, England
England’s Harry Kane appears injured during the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match against Germany
Mats Hummels of Germany vies with Kane and Germany’s Leon Goretzka during the match
Fans reacted in shock as the goal was narrowly missed. They are seen gathered in socially distanced tables in Manchester
Fans watch the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match between England and Germany at the Trafalgar Square Fan Zone in London
Jack Grealish was dropped in favour of Kieran Trippier in the only major change by England boss Southgate ahead of the game.
Germany meanwhile made three alterations, with Chelsea’s Timo Werner restored along with Leon Goretzka and Thomas Muller as Ilkay Gundogan, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane drop out of the side that drew 2-2 with Hungary.
The Three Lions have been pragmatic but somewhat underwhelming en route to the knockout stages, claiming two wins and a draw from their three Group D encounters without conceding a goal.
They now renew their long-standing rivalry with Germany, who squeezed through Group F – or the ‘group of death’ – to set up the eagerly-anticipated fixture.
Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer both urged employers to let their staff finish work early to watch the contest as football fans piled into pubs and thousands of supporters descended on Wembley and let off flares.
Around 45,000 fans were allowed into Wembley to watch Southgate’s squad battle the Germans for a place in the quarter-finals from 5pm, while millions more headed to their local – with some even hitting the boozers from as early as 7am this morning.
Three people were arrested at Wembley Stadium during Tuesday’s match. Met Police confirmed one male was arrested for racially aggravated common assault, and two males were detained for fraud by false representation.
England football fans celebrated outside Wembley Stadium ahead of the match. Drinks were sprayed into the air as supporters cheered
England supporters sing the national anthem before kick-off at the 4TheFans Fan Park at Event City in Manchester
England supporters sing the national anthem with their hands on their hearts in Manchester ahead of the match
Germany and England fans in the stands prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match at Wembley Stadium, London
The Prime Minister and Labour leader both called on bosses to let their staff finish early amid fears some will be stuck in the office at kick-off.
Ahead of the match, Chancellor Rishi Sunak shared a photo of himself pulling on an England jersey with the caption: ‘Bring it on.’
With just over an hour to kick off Wembley Way was a riot of colour with flag waving fans patiently queuing to take their seats.
Long queues stretched from the entrances to the stadium as fans had to show proof of vaccination or a negative lateral flow tests. Fans had been told to leave extra time to get into the ground to avoid missing the 5pm kick off.
Excitable fans let off red and white flares as they massed outside the stadium. With no alcohol allowed to be brought inside the stadium, thousands stood in Wembley Way drinking from cans and soaking up the atmosphere.
Two German supporters draped in their national flag were ignored as the fans were more interested in singing terrace songs, some referencing the war. But when a larger group walked past waving a black, yellow and red flag they were met boos and showered with beer prompting police to escort them to the ground.
An inflatable Spitfire was tossed among the crowd with one fan climbing up a tree to lead the chants.
Former England player John Barnes is seen cheering along with fans as they prepared to watch the match
England fans cheered prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 match between England and Germany at Wembley stadium
Kate Middleton, Prince George and Prince William clap for the England team ahead of the match against Germany
Former England player David Beckham is seen greeting Prince George as his beaming parents watched on ahead of the match
The match is one of the most anticipated in recent memory, with fan parks sold out and more than five million pints expected to be bought. Supporters got into the swing of things early this morning with a beer garden in Sheffield filled with fans clutching pints and wearing England shirts at 7am.
Meanwhile the Kirby housing estate in London was also draped in dozens of England flags ahead of the game, in scenes mirrored across the nation.
Others took to social media to reveal they will be taking a sick day to ensure they can watch the match, with some lucky supporters revealing they will even be allowed to finish early by sympathetic bosses – meaning they will join around 22 million English fans set to tune in.
And one fan keen to join in on the fun wrote on Twitter: ‘I’ve got a stomach ache on the morning that England face Germany. I think my boss would kill me if I phoned in sick today! But I’m feeling [sick]. Damnit! Come on England!’
An England fan waves an inflatable Spitfire ahead of the blockbuster match against Germany in the Euros at 5pm
Loud and passionate England fans drank and tossed beer as they gathered outside Wembley stadium ahead of the England vs Germany match
England fans react at Wembley ahead of the England v Germany match. 45,000 will be in attendance – the vast majority being English
Fans arrive at Wembley ahead of the highly anticipated UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match between England and Germany
The match will see England and Germany battle it out for a spot in the quarter final with millions of fans across the nation tuning in
Fans arrive at Wembley ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match between England and Germany at the 4TheFans fan zone outside Wembley Stadium
This England supporter looks ready for the blockbuster Euro 2020 round of 16 match against old rivals Germany at Wembley
England fans in Leicester Square and Soho getting ready for the big game against Germany, set to kick off at 5pm
Supporters light a flare at Wembley Way, the entrance to Wembley Stadium in London, ahead of the match against Wembley
Around 45,000 fans will be allowed into Wembley to watch Gareth Southgate’s squad battle the Germans for a place in the quarter-finals from 5pm
Fans arrive at Wembley ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match between England and Germany at the 4TheFans fan zone outside Wembley Stadium
England fans get the beers in at Box Park Wembley ahead of the match with Germany at 5pm
England fans gather outside the stadium before the match with Gareth Southgate’s men set to face old rivals Germany
Fans arrive at Wembley ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match between England and Germany
Around 45,000 fans will be allowed into Wembley to Gareth Southgate’s squad battle the Germans for a place in the quarter-finals from 5pm
Fans arrive at Wembley ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 match between England and Germany at the 4TheFans fan zone outside Wembley Stadium
The Prime Minister and Labour leader both called called on bosses to let their staff finish early amid fears some will be stuck in the office at kick-off