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• Southgate urges England supporters to 'stay with the team' amid Euro 2024 criticism

  Gareth Southgate pleaded for England's supporters to "stay with the team", after venting their frustration following the goalless draw with Slovenia.

  The Three Lions advanced to the Euro 2024 knockout stages as Group C winners, despite winning just one of their opening three games and scoring two goals. 

  Southgate's side, who came under scrutiny following their 1-1 draw with Denmark, did little to silence those critics with another underwhelming performance against the Slovenians.

  Despite dominating large periods of the contest with 74% of possession, it yielded an expected goals (xG) tally of just 0.87, with the front three of Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden registering just two shots on target between them.

  Sections of England fans jeered their team at the final whistle, while hurling empty drinks cups in the direction of Southgate as he applauded them.

  The Three Lions boss empathised with the supporters, but urged them to point the finger of blame at him, rather than his players.

  "I understand it. I'm not going to back away from it," he told reporters during his post-match press conference. "The most important thing is the supporters stay with the team.

  "I understand the narrative towards me, and that's better for the team than it being towards them. But it is creating an unusual environment to operate in. I've not seen any other team qualify and receive similar.

  "[The players] kept composure in a game where they've come into a really challenging environment. Of course, we'd love a couple of goals that sends everybody home happy. But we were definitely an improvement on what we did in the last game."

  "I think the changes we made had a positive effect on the game tonight. We weren't able to find the right pass, the final finish. But we are improving."

  Despite the disappointment at their performance levels, England have managed to avoid the half of the draw that includes the likes of France, Germany, Spain and Portugal.

  The Three Lions will play either the Netherlands, who finished third in Group D, or Group E's third-placed side in the round of 16 in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.

  And Southgate knows a positive atmosphere within the camp will be crucial as the Euro 2020 finalists target another deep run in this competition.

  "You never want to look back having not topped the group and spiral into tough matches where people can then accuse you that, because you didn't win the group, you've ended up with a tougher draw," he added.

  "We have made England over the last three or four years fun again. I think it has been enjoyable for the players, and we have got to be very, very careful that it stays that way."

• Real Madrid captain Nacho to leave boyhood club

  Real Madrid have announced their captain, Nacho, is leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.

  Nacho joined Madrid's youth academy in 2001 at 10 years old and is ending a 23-year association with his boyhood club.

  The defender made his debut in 2012, going on to make 364 appearances for the first team, winning 26 trophies, making him the joint-most decorated player in the team's history, along with Luka Modric.

  He captained Los Blancos to their 15th Champions League title in June, lifting the trophy for the sixth time himself. He also won five Club World Cups, four LaLiga titles and two Copa del Reys in his extensive haul.

  In a statement on social media, Nacho said: "Dear Madridistas. I want to dedicate a few words to you, which are too few to express everything I feel at this moment.

  "I am saying goodbye to the club of my life, Real Madrid. I arrived when I was 10 years old. I trained as a person and, as a player, I learned to win and to lose, to fight and to suffer, to enjoy, and to always live with enthusiasm and determination. I learned everything I am today. I have been coming to train in the same place every day for almost 25 years, which is an understatement, learning the values of Madridismo, giving my life and fighting for this crest: you have given me everything.

  "It's very difficult for me, but now it’s time to leave with the confidence and peace of mind of knowing that I have always given my best to represent this crest, on and off the pitch. When I was a boy, I often dreamed of playing in our stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu, and today I have the honour of ending my time as the captain who managed to lift our 15th Champions League.

  "There are no words to express my feelings. I always wanted my end as a Real Madrid player to be beautiful and at the top, and I can tell you that it is impossible to have a better one than this."

  Nacho, who is currently representing Spain at Euro 2024, is expected to move to the Saudi Pro League when his contract runs out, with Al-Qadsiah the favourites to sign him.

• Scotland denied '100% penalty' against Hungary, says Clarke

  Scotland head coach Steve Clarke was adamant his side should have been awarded a penalty as their Euro 2024 campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Hungary in Stuttgart. 

  Kevin Csoboth scored the winning goal in the 10th minute of injury-time to put Scotland out of another major tournament in the group stages. 

  However, things could have been much different for Clarke's side.

  Stuart Armstrong looked to have skipped beyond Hungary's Willi Orban in the 80th minute, before the RB Leipzig defender grappled across the midfielder, with both tumbling inside the area. 

  Referee Facundo Tello waved away Scotland's appeals, and a subsequent check by VAR deemed the challenge not worthy of awarding a spot-kick. 

  “It was 100% a penalty," Clarke said. "Somebody, somewhere has to explain to me why that's not a penalty. It’s a one goal game, we get the penalty and it could have been a different night.

  “I've got other words, but I'm not going to use them. I don't understand how VAR can look at that and say it's not a penalty.

  “In a European competition, it may have been better to have a European referee but we had European VAR and maybe a referee didn't see the challenge clearly on the pitch, so what's the purpose of VAR if they are not going to come in on something like that. It was a penalty.”

  Having qualified for successive European Championships, this was Scotland’s 12th major tournament group stage, and in 50% of those they have failed to win a single match – at the 1954, 1958, 1986, and 1998 World Cups and EURO 2020 and 2024.

  “We gave everything, there’s nothing you can fault there. It was a very tough game against a good opponent," said Clarke. "A very close game that was always going to be decided by the first goal. You could tell that after half an hour.

  “Unfortunately for us when we opened up towards the end of the game to try and chase the winner, that we felt we needed to get to the next stage, we got caught on the counter.”