Declan Rice's X-rated insult to Slovakia coach as England star in heated exchange

Declan Rice was caught in a heated exchange with Slovakia's head coach, Francesco Calzona, following England's victory over the underdogs.

England had to rally from behind to secure a win in the Last 16 and prepare for a quarter-final match against Switzerland. Rice played the entire 120 minutes in Gelsenkirchen as a central midfielder, with England having to defend their lead towards the end of the game.

The altercation occurred when Calzona confronted the officials about a decision after the final whistle, leading to Rice stepping up to the Slovakian coach who then pushed the England player. This sparked a melee as players from both teams rushed in, with Rice seen shouting back at the Slovakians involved in the incident.

A video surfaced on social media seemingly showing Rice referring to Calzona as a 'bald ----'. Rice was escorted away by his England teammate Ivan Toney as another member of the Slovakian coaching staff confronted him and shoved him in the chest. Aaron Ramsdale, another Arsenal player, attempted to pacify Rice as the midfielder continued to argue with the Slovakian coaching staff. Amid the confrontation, the referee reached for a yellow card, but it was unclear who it was intended for.

Rice did not comment on the incident during his post-match media obligations, choosing instead to focus on England's thrilling victory. He praised Jude Bellingham for his spectacular equalizer and acknowledged Slovakia for their strong performance.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Rice said: "I cannot describe the feeling representing England. European Championship round of 16 you look up at the clock and you think 'we could be going home here'. There are players saying to each other one minute to go and there is that inner fight and spirit in us."

He continued, "We have got that togetherness tonight, we would do anything to protect this manager. Keep going and keep fighting, it is an honour to be a part of it we are going to keep going. It is crazy because if that was me that was going over the bar!"

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The player added, "It was a big moment for 21-years old, that takes a lot of guts. People don't understand what you have to go through to get over the line. We are not playing against invisible men. They are top footballers, they kept going after us."

He concluded by saying, "It is about waiting for those moments as the game got stretched we created more. The fans tonight I cannot speak highly enough of them. So grateful they are all here to experience that."

Captain Harry Kane netted the decisive goal just 52 seconds into extra-time, propelling England into the quarter-finals. They will now face Switzerland next Saturday, with a coveted spot in the semi-finals up for grabs.

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