England Euro 2024 LIVE: Latest news as Stones reveals England’s turning point

European football’s governing body Uefa opened an investigation on Wednesday into a “wolf salute” goal celebration by Turkey centre-back Merih Demiral that Germany condemned as racist due to its far-right associations.

The gesture – mimicking the shape of a wolf’s head – is linked to the right-wing “Grey Wolves”, an ultra-nationalist youth branch of Turkey‘s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is in alliance with President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party.

It is something that Julian Nagelsmann doesn’t even want to be mentioned around the German camp, but it’s now impossible not to consider. Would the hosts have been better off had Niclas Fullkrug not scored that 92nd-minute equaliser against Switzerland in the final group game? Might that have been the moment on which the entire tournament turned?

A 1-0 defeat would have put Germany second in their group and on the more forgiving side of the draw, probably making them the biggest force there. It could have been a clear route to the semi-final.

Nagelsmann would argue that, if that happened, the hosts wouldn’t still have their unbeaten record. They wouldn’t have the emotional momentum that comes with a last-minute equaliser to preserve that record, either. They wouldn’t have the same aura.

England defender John Stones said he is fit and ready to play in their Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday despite training in a bulky knee brace, adding that the late victory over Slovakia in the last 16 was a turning point.

“All good,” Stones said of his knee. “Looks worse, obviously, (with) the heavy strapping than what I’ve done. So I’m all good.”

England have had four underwhelming games but grabbed a lifeline when Jude Bellingham leapt to fire home a stunning bicycle kick in the 95th minute against Slovakia to avoid elimination. Harry Kane sealed the deal with an extra time goal in the 2-1 win.

“It is a turning point for us emotionally, to do it in a high-pressured moment, the last few minutes, it is going to change a lot of things for us as a team, going through the emotions,” Stones told a press conference.

“There is a great picture of us celebrating that (Bellingham) goal and all the bench are up and all the staff are up off the seats. It shows that unity and togetherness as a team. When you have done those things you believe you can do it better and when it gets tough, you know we can do it again.”

Gareth Southgate has been coming under increasing pressure during Euro 2024 but he is about to reach a major milestone: his 100th game as manager of the national team.

So far his record reads 60 wins, 23 draws and 16 defeats from his 99 matches – plus he had 37 in charge of the U21s before taking the post.

A win in his century fixture would go a long way towards raising optimism once more.

Cole Palmer admits the pressure of taking a penalty ramps up when it comes to a shoot-out – but insists he would be ready to take one for England at Euro 2024.

With the knockout stages in full swing, England are preparing for a quarter-final clash against Switzerland in Dusseldorf on Saturday evening.

Gareth Southgate’s side needed extra-time to beat Slovakia in the previous round and the potential for a penalty shoot-out will once again be hanging over the tie at Merkur Spiel-Arena.

England have so far used 20 players at the tournament out of the 26 in the group. Anthony Gordon has played just one minute; at the other end of the scale, five players have played the full 390: John Stones, Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, Declan Rice and Marc Guehi.

The latter will leave the ever-present group in the next game, of course, suspended.

The reigning champions Italy are out, while classy Austria have perhaps been one of the most surprisingly impressive sides, although a more familiar name, Spain, are the outstanding team of the tournament so far.

Here is the full schedule for the Euro 2024 knockouts, plus below you can see day-by-day fixtures and times (BST) in text form:

England’s Phil Foden said the players need to shoulder some of the blame for the team’s shaky performances at Euro 2024 and that he feels sorry for manager Gareth Southgate, who has been subjected to heavy criticism.

England have sputtered through their four games in Germany with Jude Bellingham’s last gasp bicycle kick and Harry Kane’s header in extra time against Slovakia salvaging their tournament.

When asked about the criticism Southgate has faced, particularly around the team’s tendency to sit back rather than press, the 24-year-old said he feels sorry for the coach.

“The players have got to take some of the blame,” Foden told British media. “There has to be some leaders to get together and find out a solution to why it is not working.

“There is only so much the manager can do. He sets you up in a system and tells you how to press. If it is not going like that, you have to (work it out).”

Foden was named the Premier League’s Player of the Season but has been off the boil in Germany.

“I’ve not been the best player in the Premier League to come here and not show it,” he said.

England take on Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

Turkey’s ambassador to Germany has been summoned over a Turkish football player’s “wolf salute” goal celebration, the German foreign ministry said on Thursday, ramping up a diplomatic spat amid reports that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will come to Berlin this weekend.

European soccer’s governing body UEFA opened an investigation into the Turkish centre back Merih Demiral’s celebration after scoring in a Tuesday evening European Championship match. Germany condemned the gesture as racist due to its far-right associations.

Turkey’s foreign ministry said UEFA’s probe was unacceptable and that German authorities’ approach to Demiral “involved xenophobia”.

The ministry had summoned Germany’s ambassador to Ankara over the dispute, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Wednesday.

German and Turkish media reported on Thursday that Erdogan now planned to come to Berlin on Saturday for Turkey’s game against the Netherlands.

Erdogan changed his schedule to attend the game, NTV and other Turkish media reported on Thursday.

He was scheduled to attend a summit of Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in Azerbaijan on Saturday.

The gesture made by the player is linked to the “Grey Wolves”, an ultra-nationalist youth branch of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of Erdogan’s ruling AK Party.

The wolf salute is not banned in Germany.

However, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on X that “using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable.”

Following is the penalty shootout record of the quarter-finalists at Euro 2024. Only shootouts at the World Cup and European Championship have been included.

ENGLAND (won two, lost seven)

1990 World Cup semi-final: Lost 4-3 v West Germany after 1-1 draw

1996 Euros quarter-final: Won 4-2 v Spain after 0-0 draw

1996 Euros semi-final: Lost 6-5 v Germany after 1-1 draw

1998 World Cup last-16: Lost 4-3 v Argentina after 2-2 draw

2004 Euros quarter-final: Lost 6-5 v Portugal after 2-2 draw

2006 World Cup quarter-final: Lost 3-1 v Portugal after 0-0 draw

2012 Euros quarter-final: Lost 4-2 v Italy after 0-0 draw

2018 World Cup last-16: Won 4-3 v Colombia after 1-1 draw

2020 Euros final: Lost 3-2 v Italy after 1-1 draw)

SWITZERLAND (won one, lost three)

2006 World Cup last-16: Lost 3-0 v Ukraine after 0-0 draw

2016 Euros last-16: Lost 5-4 v Poland after 1-1 draw

2020 Euros last-16: Won 5-4 v France after 3-3 draw

2020 Euros quarter-final: Lost 3-2 v Spain after 1-1 draw

2008 Euros quarter-final: Won 3-1 v Croatia after 1-1 draw