Liverpool's Joe Gomez Pictured with Scratch Near Eye After Raheem Sterling Clash
Nov 12, 2019
England's defender Joe Gomez (L) and England's midfielder Raheem Sterling attend an England team training session at St George's Park in Burton-on-Trent, central England on November 12, 2019, ahead of their Euro 2020 football qualification match against Montenegro. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
England defender Joe Gomez has been pictured with a scratch under his right eye, which follows a bust-up with Raheem Sterling.
Elliot Wagland of the Evening Standard relayed the photo from Reuters:
Here's another angle on the Joe Gomez scratch pic.
Per the Mirror's John Cross and James Whaling, the pair both trained on Tuesday after a heated confrontation in the canteen at St. George's Park, though manager Gareth Southgate has decided Sterling won't feature for the Three Lions in their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier with Montenegro on Thursday.
The pair had initially confronted one another on Sunday, when Sterling and Manchester City lost 3-1 to his former side Liverpool at Anfield.
According to Cross and Whaling, Gomez offered Sterling a handshake from behind and the pair had to be separated by their team-mates when the forward reacted badly, leading to a verbal confrontation.
Sterling said he and Reds defender Gomez have now made up after their clash spilled over into England duty:
ESPN FC's Melissa Reddy believes Southgate has made the right decision in dropping Sterling for Thursday's match:
Some former players have been critical of how Gareth Southgate has handled it, but we’ve seen them spotlight big egos, club cliques, mixed messages, lack of discipline, favouritism and weak management for England’s past failures 🤷🏽♀️
England are top of Group A with 15 points from six matches and need just one more point to qualify for next year's tournament.
Sterling is a key player for England, having contributed 10 goals and eight assists in his last 10 international appearances.
However, the Three Lions should be more than capable of beating Montenegro at Wembley Stadium without him. Montenegro are winless in their seven qualifiers, having scored just three goals and conceded 15.
Raheem Sterling Comments After Being Dropped by England for Joe Gomez Clash
Nov 12, 2019
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City speaks with Joe Gomez of Liverpool following the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City at Anfield on November 10, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Raheem Sterling has said he and Liverpool's Joe Gomez have "figured things out and moved on" after the altercation that led to the Manchester City star being dropped for England's clash with Montenegro on Thursday.
Sterling and Gomez had a brief confrontation during City's 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, which saw the Sky Blues lose significant ground in the title race:
On Monday, the FA then issued a statement saying Sterling would not be in line to play against Montenegro "as a result of a disturbance in a private team area at St. George’s Park."
England manager Gareth Southgate explained "the emotions of yesterday's game were still raw," and Sterling tried to reopen hostilities when the pair met up for international duty, perMatt Lawof the Telegraph.
A former Liverpool player, Sterling has now taken to Instagram to explain that he and centre-back Gomez have put the incident behind them:
"First and foremost everyone knows what that game means to me. Everyone knows that I am not that way inclined and more to the point, both Joe and I have had words and figured things out and moved on.
"We are in a sport where emotions run high and I am man enough to admit when emotions got the better of me. This is why we play this sport because of our love for it—me and @joegomez5 are good we both understand it was a 5-10 second thing it's done we move forward and not make this bigger than it is.
"Let's get focus on our game on Thursday."
It was hardly an ideal way for England and Southgate to begin the international break, in which they play UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against Montenegro at Wembley before travelling to Kosovo for their final Group A clash on Sunday.
Sterling, 24, will be a big loss given his form in an England shirt recently has been phenomenal:
Raheem Sterling has been directly involved in 2.1 goals per game in England’s #EURO2020 qualifying campaign.
The Three Lions are top of their pool, though, and they need just a point to secure a place at next summer's tournament.
In Sterling's absence, Southgate has numerous other options to call upon in attack, including Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi and Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho.
The door has been left open for Sterling to return for the trip to the Fadil Vokrri Stadium, by which time England may have booked their spot at Euro 2020.
Callum Hudson-Odoi 'Proud' of How England Handled Racist Abuse in Bulgaria
Oct 16, 2019
MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 15: Callum Hudson-Odoi of England celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 during the UEFA Under 21 Championship Qualifier between England and Austria at Stadium MK on October 15, 2019 in Milton Keynes, England. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
Callum Hudson-Odoi took pride in how England's senior internationals handled racist abuse during a 6-0 win away to Bulgaria on Monday, and the Chelsea winger believes it's right for players to leave the pitch when faced with such discrimination.
Hudson-Odoi wasn't in action for the senior team on Monday, instead scoring twice to help the U21 side beat Austria 5-1 in a qualifying match for UEFA U21 on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old subsequently discussed the events in Sofia on Monday, per Sam Dean of the Daily Telegraph: "It is disgusting to hear or see players getting discriminated against. It is not right. I say to myself, whenever that happens you have got to stick together as a team, which the boys did [on Monday]."
One of England's most gifted young players echoed the thoughts of Chelsea team-mate Tammy Abraham by pointing toward a more clear protest that can be made in the face of racism:
"I am really proud to see the boys stick together and in those situations where they say they would walk off the pitch, it is right because no player should be treated differently.
"We are all equal. It is an equal game so we have all got to stay strong. Stay the same and the boys dealt with it well. Hopefully everything will be sorted properly by Uefa. Everything that happened was obviously not right but we have to stick together as a team and move on from it."
England won emphatically in Bulgaria, but Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings, Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling and Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford were regularly subjected to vile chants, according to David Hytner of the Guardian.
Hytner noted an announcement calling for the abuse to cease was made over the PA system. When it persisted, referee Ivan Bebek brought the game to a halt and gave Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate the option to take his players in early before the break.
Southgate opted against it, noting his team wanted to continue, while England's players chose not to exercise to option to stay in and instead returned to the pitch after the restart. In each instance, the officials and team followed UEFA's existing parameters for dealing with hateful rhetoric from the stands.
Prior to the match, Southgate had promised England would adhere to the protocol set down by European football's governing body. The pledge came in response to Abraham saying the Three Lions were ready to defy UEFA rules and leave the pitch en masse if players were abused.
Hudson-Odoi backs Abraham, but believes the decision would need to be taken by the manager and the whole team, per The Daily Mail's Jack Gaughan: "Gareth is the manager, we always have to stick by him. He makes the decision. It is all up to the manager and the captain is a captain decision but also a team decision. So we all have a say in what’s happening."
Events on Monday prompted an apology from Bulgaria manager Krasimir Balakov after the 53-year-old claimed in the aftermath of the game he hadn't heard or seen any abuse, according to John Cross of the Daily Mirror.
Meanwhile, Bulgaria skipper Ivelin Popov confronted some of the supporters engaging in the racial abuse and described himself as "embarrassed" by events, per The Daily Mail.
Rashford felt FC Rostov midfielder Popov's actions deserved praise:
Also been told what the Bulgaria captain did at half-time. To stand alone and do the right thing takes courage and acts like that shouldn’t go unnoticed. #NoToRacism
Bulgaria's prime minister Bokyo Borissov joined Popov in speaking out and also demanded the resignation of Football Union president Borislav Mihaylov, a move endorsed by Sterling:
I strongly condemn the conduct of some of the fans at the stadium #BULENG It is unacceptable that Bulgaria which is one of the most tolerant states in the world and where people of different ethnic and religious background peacefully live together should be associated with racism
Incidents like those witnessed at the Stadion Vasil Levski will increase calls for UEFA and FIFA to adopt stronger stances toward racism, including providing players, both today and in the future, with a clearer framework for how to respond.
Bulgaria Boss Krasimir Balakov Apologises to England Players After Racist Abuse
Oct 16, 2019
PODGORICA, MONTENEGRO - OCTOBER 11: Coach of Bulgaria Krasimir Balakov prior the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier between Montenegro and Bulgaria at Podgorica City Stadium on October 11, 2019 in Podgorica, Montenegro. (Photo by Filip Filipovic/MB Media/Getty Images)
Bulgaria manager Krasimir Balakov has apologised to the England players who were racially abused in the Three Lions' 6-0 win over his side in Sofia on Monday.
In a Facebook post, Balakov—who had initially denied hearing the abuse, which prompted the game to be stopped twice by the referee—condemned racism, which he said "should be buried deep in our past."
He continued:
"I have coached a lot of Bulgarian teams with players of diverse origin and have never ever judged anyone by the color of their skin. What is more—I have always actively participated in all noble initiatives that involve unprivileged people or those in need.
"My comments prior to the game versus England—that Bulgaria did not have trouble with racism—were based on the fact that the local championship has not seen such an issue on a large scale. There might have been isolated cases, but it is definitely not something that you see at the stadium. The majority of football fans do not participate in such chants and I believe this also to have been the case in the game against England.
"I would like to state one thing very clearly—since there have been reported cases of racial discrimination at the stadium in Sofia I, as Bulgaria national team head coach, would like to offer my sincere apologies to the English footballers and to anyone who felt offended."
England eased to a 6-0 win thanks to braces from Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling and further strikes from Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane, but the victory was marred by racist abuse from sections of Bulgaria fans in the stands:
Per Simon Peach of the Press Association, Balakov—who had suggested prior to the match that England had a bigger problem with racism than Bulgaria—said afterwards he had not heard any abuse:
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester City star Sterling called out Balakov for his comments on Twitter:
Is this guy for real? The way the team stuck together last night was unreal but we can't ignore what happened. The racism has gotta stop. https://t.co/9HMTgG5wrp
Bulgaria goalkeeper Plamen Iliev followed a similar line to Balakov's initial comments, but captain Ivelin Popov—who was pictured at half-time pleading with supporters to stop—condemned the abuse:
🗣 Bulgaria goalkeeper Plamen Iliev: "If I am honest, I believe the fans behaved well.
"There wasn't any abuse and I think the England players overreacted a bit.
🗣 Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov on racism: “It must stop. We are 11 versus 11, it doesn’t matter your colour, it’s no problem, we are all the same, we are one very big family in football.
Following the match, UEFA has charged the Bulgarian Football Union for the fans' racist behaviour, which included monkey chants and making Nazi salutes.
As part of the fallout from the match, BFU president Borislav Mihaylov resigned on Tuesday following pressure from Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov.
Per BBC Sport, four supporters have been arrested as part of the investigation into the abuse, while efforts are continuing to identify other fans involved.
The match was played at a partially closed Stadion Vasil Levski after Bulgaria were sanctioned by UEFA for other incidents of racism during their matches with Kosovo and Czech Republic.
England's win on Monday saw them bounce back following a 2-1 defeat to the Czechs in Prague on Friday.
The Three Lions are three points clear at the top of Group A having accrued 15 points from six matches, with Montenegro and Kosovo still to play home and away, respectively.
Bulgaria have played seven matches but are yet to earn win. They sit on three points, taken from three draws.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Calls for FA President to Resign After England Game
Oct 15, 2019
Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov has called for Borislav Mihaylov, president of the country's FA, to step down after the racist abuse England players were subjected to at Sofia's Vasil Levski National Stadium on Monday.
England's 6-0 victory over Bulgaria in their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier was marred by racist behaviour from the home fans, which included monkey chants and Nazi salutes:
Truly disgusting scenes in Sofia. ITV shows footage of Tyrone Mings asking the linesman “have you heard that?” as he is clearly racially abused.
Footage then shows Bulgaria fans making monkey chants, giving the Nazi salute and holding up shirts saying “UEFA No Respect” on them.
Play was stopped twice in the first half, and as per UEFA protocol, a stadium announcement warned that the match would be abandoned if the abuse continued.
On Tuesday, Bulgarian sports minister Krasen Kralev explained prime minister Borissov had contacted him to ensure steps were made to impose financial sanctions on the FA after the ignominious scenes, per Alex Young of the Evening Standard:
"The prime minister called me urgently a short time ago. You know that the government has done a lot for the development of Bulgarian football in the last four years.
"But after the recent events, having in mind the whole state of football and last night's incidents, the prime minister has ordered me from today to suspend any relations with the BFU, including financial ones, until the resignation of Borislav Mihaylov."
Raheem Sterling, who has been the victim of racist abuse on numerous occasions in the past both for Manchester City and England, praised Borissov for his actions:
Ross Barkley also scored twice in Sofia after Marcus Rashford's opener, and Harry Kane completed the rout to ensure England bounced back from their shock 2-1 defeat to the Czech Republic three days earlier.
England played in front of a reduced crowd on Monday because Bulgaria had been sanctioned by UEFA for racist behaviour against Kosovo and Czech Republic.
At half-time, Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov went over to a section of the home support following the first-half stoppages due to racist chanting.
Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov, though, did not acknowledge in his post-match interview that there had been any problem:
"If our captain spoke to the fans, it was probably because of the way the team was performing." 😳
Bulgaria coach Krasimir Balakov issued a staggering denial over racial chanting during England's win in Sofia, adamant that abuse "must be proven": https://t.co/mck0Rb8Coppic.twitter.com/irOtxlxOmN
England's players now return to club action before their final Group A qualifiers against Montenegro and Kosovo next month.
Harry Kane on UEFA's 3-Step Protocol: 'It Is Unacceptable to Be Racist Once'
Oct 15, 2019
England's forward Harry Kane reacts during the Euro 2020 Group A football qualification match between Bulgaria and England due to incidents with fans, at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia on October 14, 2019. (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV / AFP) (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images)
England captain Harry Kane has criticised UEFA's three-step protocol for dealing with racism during football matches.
The Three Lions' UEFA 2020 European Championship showdown against Bulgaria in Sofia was stopped on two occasions during the first half on Monday, after a number of black England players received abuse from the stands. Bulgaria supporters could also be seen making salutes associated with fascism.
The referee followed UEFA's guidelines for dealing with racist abuse, which included a temporary stoppage of the game and an announcement threatening the abandonment of the match. Kane said he's not sure the current system is appropriate, per Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard:
"Whether the UEFA protocols is strong enough, I am not sure. Should any racial abuse should be allowed at any time? It shouldn't be. The protocol at the moment allows there to be an announcement and two or three steps before the players are taken off the pitch.
"It is unacceptable to be racist once, so I feel there can be stronger punishments and protocols. But from our point of view as a team, we stuck together, showed unity and did what we had to, and that is the most important thing."
During the game, Rob Harris of Associated Press shared the protocol put in place by European football's governing body for dealing with these types of incidents:
Protocol for dealing with racist abuse being implemented at Bulgaria-England, with first step implemented pic.twitter.com/Jo6YJ8FhkV
Kane posted the following on his Twitter account after the match:
Great performance and I’m proud of the togetherness we showed in some disgraceful circumstances. Racism has no place in society or football. It needs stamping out for good. Also a massive congrats to @OfficialTM_3 on a great debut 👏 #ThreeLionspic.twitter.com/yS9pEFeXie
While the blueprint was adhered to during the game, England's players eventually stayed out on the field and were 6-0 winners on the night.
Per Sky News, two of the three steps in the UEFA protocol were implemented on Monday. The game was initially stopped in the 28th minute and an announcement was made over the public address system encouraging fans inside the stadium to stop the abuse.
Even after a section of Bulgarian supporters left the stadium, Mings, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford continued to be subject to abuse in the second half.
Former England under-21 international Marvin Sordell said stricter action should have been taken:
UEFA’s protocol for racism is to get the stadium announcer to ask them to stop 😂. Who would’ve thought of that eh 🤷🏾♂️
One day we’re going to look back at times like these and wonder why we ever questioned players walking off the pitch. It’s absolute madness to just continue to do your job and basically accept being racially abused whilst doing it
Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror was critical of the manner in which European football's governing body has dealt with racism previously:
‘UEFA need to do this, uefa need to do that.’ They won’t. Last year a section of Russia fans abused the France players - they were fined €22k. We’ve been here too many times before not to know how this plays out.
The stadium in Sofia had 5,000 seats cordoned off for the match against England after Bulgaria supporters had been found guilty of shouting racist abuse during fixtures against Kosovo and Czech Republic in June. The November showdown with the Czechs will see 3,000 seats shut.
Kane netted England's sixth goal on the night, while Rashford's opener was followed by braces from Ross Barkley and Sterling.
Jordan Henderson Demands Apology from Bulgaria Manager Krasimir Balakov
Oct 15, 2019
SOFIA, BULGARIA - OCTOBER 14: Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane of England question referee Ivan Bebek during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier between Bulgaria and England on October 14, 2019 in Sofia, Bulgaria. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Jordan Henderson has said Bulgaria manager Krasimir Balakov needs to apologise after he did not immediately condemn the racist abuse aimed at England players in Monday's UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier at the Vasil Levski National Stadium.
The Three Lions eased to a 6-0 victory in Sofia, but the game was marred by racist behaviour from the home fans which led to play being halted twice in the first half and a stadium announcement warning the match would be abandoned if the abuse continued:
Stadium announcement at Bulgaria vs England:
"Because of racist behaviour which is interfering with the game, the referee has indicated he may have to suspend the match. Please be in no doubt that the game may be suspended and abandoned if racist behaviour continues."#BULENGpic.twitter.com/OvxeoJmWsu
In his post-match interview with ITV, Balakov said he did not hear the chanting from Bulgaria supporters and added England fans must share some of the blame:
🎥 IN FULL 🎥
'For three weeks all we've heard people talking about is anything else but football'
Per Sky Sports News (h/t Dom Farrell of Goal), Henderson explained that he spoke to the Bulgaria boss during the match, and he demanded Balakov apologise:
"I had a few words with the manager. It wasn't acceptable – something needs to be done. He needs to apologise now, really, on behalf of the team and the fans. He knows what was going on. He was asking me what the problem was. When I told him he knew what was going on, it was baffling how he didn't, really. Hopefully he looks back and apologises because anyone watching that game would be disgusted really."
Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley both hit doubles for England in between Marcus Rashford's stunning opener and Harry Kane's 85th-minute strike that completed the rout.
It was an impressive performance from England in the circumstances and re-established their momentum in Group A after Friday's shock loss to Czech Republic.
Gareth Southgate's side, though, are unlikely to remember the occasion fondly.
Next month, England can book their place at Euro 2020 and take top spot in their qualifying group if they win their home fixture against Montenegro and their away match in Kosovo.
Despite the result against Czech Republic, it would be a big surprise if England fail to do just that.
Only Belgium (30) have scored more goals in qualifying than the 26 England have now scored, and Monday's performance was a reminder of how dangerous they can be going forward after a poor showing in Prague.
England Crush Bulgaria 6-0 Amid Racist Abuse from Fans in Euro 2020 Qualifier
Oct 14, 2019
England's midfielder Ross Barkley (R) is congratulated by teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the Euro 2020 Group A football qualification match between Bulgaria and England at the Vassil Levski Stadium in Sofia on October 14, 2019. (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV / AFP) (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images)
England returned to winning ways in UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifying on Monday with a 6-0 victory over Bulgaria at the Stadion Vasil Levski in Sofia.
The Three Lions took control of the match with early goals from Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford and Chelsea's Ross Barkley.
The match was temporarily halted midway through the first half with fans warned to stop racist abuse, and England added a third goal from a Barkley header when play resumed.
Another break in play followed shortly before half-time, with play only resuming following discussions between the referee and England manager Gareth Southgate and his players.
Captain Harry Kane then set up Raheem Sterling for England's fourth of the night in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
England continued their dominance after the break and wrapped up an emphatic win with goals from Sterling and Kane to move a step closer to qualification.
Rashford gave the Three Lions the perfect start by smashing a rising shot past goalkeeper Plamen Iliev for the opening goal on seven minutes after cutting in from the left.
Match of the Daynoted his fine form for the Three Lions:
Marcus Rashford has been involved in 6 goals in his last 8 starts for England in all competitions (5 goals, 1 assist).
England did not have to wait long for their second which came after a flowing team move. Sterling finished things off by skipping into the penalty area and slotting a low cross for Barkley to tap home.
The game was then paused and a message relayed to supporters about racist chanting, as shown by Squawka News:
OFFICIAL: A public message has been played inside the Stadion Vasil Levski warning fans that the referee will cancel England vs. Bulgaria if the "racist behaviour" continues. pic.twitter.com/sRxR7UdwSv
Play resumed with England extending their lead through Barkley's second of the night. Kane swung in a cross for the Chelsea midfielder to nod past the goalkeeper:
6 - All six of Ross Barkley's goals for @England have been scored away from home. In the post-WWII era, he's the highest scorer for the Three Lions not to score at home. Jetsetter.#BULENGpic.twitter.com/iGia9LZRpv
Yet the game had to be halted again on 43 minutes, and a number of fans were seen leaving the stadium, per Sam Wallace at theDaily Telegraph:
Remarkable scenes in Sofia - after first racial abuse warning at Vasil Levski stadium it now seems that a group of home fans (mainly dressed in black) under the ‘Lauta Army’ flag are leaving/ejected
The game resumed with England adding a fourth before half-time. Again Kane was the provider, setting up Sterling for an easy finish to hand the visitors a healthy lead at the break.
ITV Football showed how the off-field events played out in the first half:
England continued their dominance after the break as they strolled to an emphatic victory. Kane picked up his third assist of the night by sliding a pass to Sterling to slot a cool finish home.
The England captain then got his name on the scoresheet with five minutes of normal time remaining, beating the goalkeeper at his near post with a precise finish.
Victory keeps England at the top of Group A, three points ahead of the Czech Republic, but the game was overshadowed by the racist incidents that caused the game to be halted twice.
What's Next?
Bulgaria's final group game is against the Czech Republic on November 17. England host Montenegro on November 14 and conclude their campaign three days later against Kosovo.
Krasimir Balakov: Bulgaria Doesn't Have 'Big Problem' with Racism Like England
Oct 14, 2019
DUBLIN, IRELAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Manager of Bulgaria, Krasimir Balakov during the International Friendly match between Republic of Ireland and Bulgaria at Aviva Stadium on September 10, 2019 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Bulgaria manager Krasimir Balakov has said English football has a bigger issue with racism in the game than his own country ahead of the match between the two sides on Monday.
The nations will face off in a UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifier at the Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski in Sofia, which will be partially closed after Bulgarian supporters were found guilty of racism during matches against Kosovo and Czech Republic in June.
Much of the discussion ahead of the game has centred on what would happen if English players are subjected to racist abuse at the venue, although Balakov has said the visitors on Monday have their own issues to deal with, per Goal:
"What I can say is that I don't think we have a problem. In the Bulgarian championship, we have a lot of players of different ethnicities and skin colour. I don't think that we have this big problem like, for example, England do.
"What I meant was that in the Bulgarian championship we've not had such problems while there have been incidents in various levels of English football involving racism, which I consider something normal because it's a big country with a very diverse population. But we don't have this problem in Bulgaria, I can assure you of that."
Per Goal, the match with England is one of two games where the capacity of the stadium will be reduced. There will be 5,000 seats cordoned off against the Three Lions and 3,000 shut down when Czech Republic visit in November.
The last time England played in Sofia was in 2011. After the game, Bulgaria were fined €40,000 after Ashley Young, Ashley Cole and Theo Walcott were subject to monkey chants.
The comments from Balakov come after Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham said the England team would be willing to walk off the field if they were the target of any racist abuse, per DW Sports:
The England national team are ready to leave the pitch if they are subjected to racist abuse in Bulgaria.
During the qualifying matches, England players have already been the victim of racist chanting when they visited Montenegro in March.
After that match, Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate had his say on the abuse:
"I definitely heard abuse at Danny Rose when he got booked at the end of the game... We'll make sure that's reported officially. It's not acceptable."@England boss Gareth Southgate reacts to racist chants in Montenegro this evening pic.twitter.com/I1b0t1WEiM
Southgate has also spoken of English football's need to sort out issues with racism ahead of this encounter, saying "we don't look at other countries in a way that we don't shine a mirror on our own."
In September, social media platform Twitter said action had been taken against "more than 700 examples of hateful conduct" following racist abuse of Premier League footballers, per BBC Sport.
As the BBC report noted, Abraham was the victim of online abuse, as was Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.
England go into the fixture after being on the end of a shock 2-1 loss to Czech Republic on Friday. Meanwhile, Bulgaria are looking for their first win of the qualifying campaign, having lost three and drawn three of their matches so far.
Harry Kane Says England's Euro 2020 Defeat to Czech Republic Is a 'Wake-Up Call'
Oct 11, 2019
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - OCTOBER 11: Harry Kane of England reacts during the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier between Czech Republic and England at Eden Arena on October 11, 2019 in Prague, . (Photo by PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images)
England captain Harry Kane said Friday that the Three Lions' defeat to Czech Republic in UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifying is a "wake-up call" for Gareth Southgate's men.
The defeat in Prague sees the Czech Republic move level on points with England at the top of Group A, although Jaroslav Silhavy's squad have played a game more than the Three Lions.
Kane told ITV (h/t Paul Higham at Sporting Life) after the match that England must improve ahead of Monday's qualifier in Bulgaria at Sofia's Vasil Levski National Stadium:
"Every away game in Europe is difficult. They had the crowd behind them, maybe the pitch isn't as great and as easy to play on. But there's no excuse, we've played in these games before and we have to do better than tonight.
"It's a bit of a wake-up call, of course we're still in a good position so there's no need to panic. We obviously have to win the game on Monday but, for sure, we've still got stuff to work on."
Kane gave England the lead in Prague from the penalty spot on five minutes after Raheem Sterling was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area by Lukas Masopust.
However, the visitors were well below par during the match and saw the Czechs equalise through Jakub Brabec four minutes later.
The hosts had further chances to score through Vladimir Coufal, Masopust and Alex Kral before substitute Zdenek Ondrasek netted the winner with five minutes of normal time remaining.
Opta noted how it is England's first defeat in qualifying for a decade:
43 - England have lost a European Championship/World Cup qualifying match for the first time since October 10th 2009 (a 1-0 defeat to Ukraine), ending a sequence of 43 qualifying matches unbeaten (W34 D9). Uninspired. pic.twitter.com/MC7v8KTFxJ
Southgate told ITV Football his team were not good enough after the match:
"Our performance wasn't good enough. It's as simple as that. Collectively we have to accept that there weren't enough good performances."#ThreeLions boss Gareth Southgate gives his verdict on tonight's defeat:pic.twitter.com/C5YNYWDdJc
England still look certain to qualify for the finals, but the defeat will raise questions marks over their ability to make an impact at the tournament. The team's defence looked frail throughout the 90 minutes, and they have now conceded five goals in England's last two games.
There was also a notable lack of cohesion among the players as England slipped to a deserved defeat to a team they thrashed 5-0 at Wembley Stadium in March. The loss will go down as of the worst performances by the Three Lions since Southgate was appointed manager in November 2016.
ESPN FC's Dale Johnson also noted another possible impact of the defeat:
England's defeat tonight puts their hopes of being seeded in the finals draw on Nov. 30 in real jeopardy. They looked certain to be one of the six seeds before this defeat.
England now head to Bulgaria for their second fixture of the international break and can secure qualification if they win and Kosovo fail to beat Montenegro.
