Zara Tindall wiped blood from a seat at Wembley Stadium after her husband Mike broke up a fight between two England fans during last night’s nerve-shredding Euros 2020 final against Italy, it has been claimed.
The royal is said to have pulled a handkerchief from her handbag to clean up the mess just before kick-off after a spectator sat near the couple was punched and had his nose broken amid scenes of ‘absolute mayhem’.
A source told the Sun newspaper: ‘Tensions had got a bit heated near to where Zara and Mike were sitting because it had got quite crowded. Two fans ended up in a punch-up and Mike had to step in to save the day.
‘He stood between them and pulled them apart before stewards could get them under control. Unfortunately some blood ended up near Zara and she had to use a tissue to mop it up. It was absolute mayhem.’
Mike shared photos of the game from Wembley on his official Twitter account last night. He wrote: ‘Very proud of @EnglandFootball, didn’t go England’s way tonight but this group of players have made a massive step forward and I think we will be competing at tournaments for many years to come! Well done lads!’
Zara and Mike were among 60,000 fans at Wembley to support England’s bid for football glory against the Italians last night. The royal’s cousin Prince William was also in attendance with his wife Kate Middleton and their seven-year-old son Prince George.
Zara Tindall wiped blood from a seat at Wembley Stadium after her husband Mike broke up a fight between England fans, it has been claimed
Mike shared photos of the game from Wembley on his official Twitter account last night. He wrote: ‘Very proud of @EnglandFootball, didn’t go England’s way tonight but this group of players have made a massive step forward and I think we will be competing at tournaments for many years to come! Well done lads!’
A general view inside Wembley Stadium last night as players of England applaud the fans
England fans outside the ground during the UEFA Euro 2020 Final at Wembley Stadium
England fans were left feeling tense as the game went into extra time at Wembley, leaving supporters facing a nail biting finale
The actions of a minority of fans cast a shadow over the event as dozens of ticketless fans stormed the stadium before kick-off, 19 police were injured covering it and England’s trio of penalty-missers suffered racist abuse after the game.
England’s dreams of Euro 2020 glory were shattered at Wembley last night as they lost to Italy on penalties – extending the ’55 years of hurt’ but leaving the nation expressing pride at the Three Lions’ achievements.
Despite two spot-kick saves from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, England’s Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed their efforts to hand the Italians a 3-2 shootout win after a nerve-shredding 120 minutes had ended 1-1.
For the vast majority of the 60,000 inside Wembley and the millions watching at home, the disappointment at another defeat on penalties was tempered by the satisfaction of England making their first major final since the 1966 World Cup win.
In the royal box, George looked shattered at the end as William and Kate comforted him, after a first half that had the Cambridges rocking.
After the match, William wrote: ‘Heartbreaking.
‘Congratulations @Azzurri on a great victory. @England, you’ve all come so far, but sadly this time it wasn’t our day. You can all hold your heads high, and be so proud of yourselves – I know there’s more to come.’
The loss was felt particularly acutely by manager Gareth Southgate, whose own penalty miss saw England knocked out of Euro ’96 to Germany.
Police have launched an urgent bid to find the ticketless fans who stormed through the security barriers and entered Wembley ahead of the Euros final.
Dozens of fans were filmed trampling down the security cordon before running into the Club Wembley entrance, the closest point of entry from Wembley Way, as stewards and riot police desperately chased after them ahead of the national side’s biggest game for more than half a century.
The stampede of invaders draped with England flags were then seen rushing up the steps to the stands and barging their way through stunned security guards as hundreds of fans inside the stadium tried to stop them, with some even throwing punches at them.
A total of 19 officers were hurt trying to stop them and the Metropolitan Police Federation criticised the groups responsible.
It said: ‘These people should be ashamed of themselves. They are not fans. They are thugs. We wish our injured colleagues well.’
Footage showed a massive surge of fans crushing their way through security barriers at Wembley and then running away from stewards as scenes descended into chaos.
Elsewhere, ticketless spectators inside the stadium were thrown to the ground and kicked and punched by other fans after they pushed past security and tried to make their way into the football ground.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George are driven away from Wembley after last night’s match
Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini holds the Euro 2020 cup as the team arrive at the Parco dei Principi hotel in Rome this morning
England fans wrapped in the flag of St George’s Cross look back at Wembley lit up in the green, white and red of Italy, after the Three Lions lost on penalties
A dejected fan in London’s Trafalgar Square after Italy won the UEFA Euro 2020 Final against England after the game was decided on penalties
Wembley Stadium this morning as millions of disappointed England fans come to terms with the loss to Italy
One man was also seen covering his head as an angry crowd threw punches at him as he lay on the ground. The ticketless fans were then spotted blocking stairs, corridors, aisles and disabled spaces inside the stadium as onlookers at the game pleaded with stewards to remove the intruders.
Following the chaotic scenes, the Metropolitan Police confirmed there had been a ‘breach of security’ at the stadium and said they were working with stadium officials to ‘identify those without tickets’.
A spokesperson for the force said: ‘Earlier this afternoon there was a breach of security at Wembley Stadium, which resulted in a small number of people getting into the stadium without a ticket.
‘Officers worked closely with security officials to prevent any further breaches. We will also support action by Wembley Stadium officials to identify those without tickets and eject them.’
A Wembley Stadium spokesperson added: ‘There was a breach of security and a small group of people got into the stadium. We are now working closely with stadium stewards and security to remove these people.
‘Anyone inside the stadium without a ticket will be instantly ejected.’