England’s security team have insisted Mexican fans’ attempts to disturb the Three Lions’ sleep ahead of their World Cup last-16 showdown have had little to no impact on the squad.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside England’s team hotel on the eve of Monday’s clash at the Azteca Stadium in a bid to create a hostile atmosphere, chanting, singing and revving engines in scenes designed to unsettle Thomas Tuchel’s players.
But an England security official dismissed suggestions the squad’s preparations had been disrupted when speaking to Daily Mail Sport outside the hotel at midnight.
Instead, he insisted the players found the whole spectacle amusing rather than intimidating and suggested they were well used to it.
By Saturday evening, barriers surrounded the hotel perimeter while security personnel lined the railings keeping watch over the growing crowds outside.
Riot police and local authorities eventually intervened, moving around 200 fans approximately 300 metres away from the hotel entrance, allowing the area to calm considerably.
Police were on guard to protect the England team hotel from disruption from Mexico fans
The police presence was high after Mexico’s previous opponents Ecuador had complained fans had tried to disrupt their team with fireworks on the eve of their match
A Mexico fan with a drum is ordered by police to move away from the England hotel
The England security official, who spent the evening monitoring the situation from outside the hotel, said the noise could initially be heard from inside the building but stressed it was never particularly loud or problematic.
Once the supporters had been pushed further down the street, he said the players could no longer hear the commotion from their rooms.
The official praised the efforts of the Mexican authorities, saying the government, local police and security services had been ‘incredibly helpful’ throughout England’s stay and had gone out of their way to ensure the team’s preparations remained unaffected.
He also insisted the players’ mentality had not changed despite the attempts to create an intimidating atmosphere.
‘They’re used to playing for Real Madrid, Barcelona and the biggest Premier League clubs,’ he said. ‘This isn’t their first experience of something like this.’
He added that some players regularly experience more hostile atmospheres in domestic football, joking that ‘sometimes the atmosphere at Everton is worse.’
According to the security official, England’s experienced squad have taken everything in their stride and, if anything, the reception has only sharpened their focus ahead of the knockout tie, which takes place at 1am on Monday UK time.
An England security official praised the efforts of the Mexican authorities, saying the government, local police and security services had been ‘incredibly helpful’
Once supporters were ushered away down the street, England players were no longer hear the commotion from their rooms
The official played down reports surrounding England’s arrival at the hotel earlier this week, insisting the process had been ‘very smooth’ and ‘nothing of note’ happened
The official also played down reports surrounding England’s arrival at the hotel earlier this week, which attracted large crowds of supporters and widespread attention on social media.
He described the team’s arrival as ‘very smooth’ and said there was ‘nothing of note’ from the perspective of those responsible for security as it was all a bit of ‘fun’.
He added that members of England’s travelling party were surprised by the scale of the media coverage afterwards because they did not view the scenes as anything out of the ordinary.
Despite the noisy scenes outside on Saturday night, England remain confident their preparations have not been compromised as they look to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals at the Azteca on Monday.
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