Euro 2020: Europe-based England fans offered Ukraine tickets

England fans who do not live in the UK will be able to buy tickets for the team's quarter-final against Ukraine in Rome.

The FA has returned its allocation of tickets for Saturday's match - which will now be sold to registered England fans through the Uefa website.

Covid travel restrictions mean that fans in the UK have been told not to travel to the game.

Around 2,300 tickets went on sale on Wednesday evening.

The Football Association was entitled to an allocation of 2,560 tickets for Saturday's match - 16% of the agreed capacity of 16,000 at Stadio Olimpico.

Current rules state that UK passengers travelling to Italy must provide proof of a negative coronavirus test taken 48 hours before travelling and then isolate for five days.

However, UK nationals living in Europe are able to travel without quarantining as long as they have proof of full vaccination or a negative test.

Fans who are registered as an England supporter on Uefa's ticket portal but do not live in the UK are able to buy them.

On Tuesday evening, there were jubilant scenes at Wembley as Gareth Southgate's side beat Germany 2-0 in front of 41,973 fans, while a peak TV audience of 20.6 million watched on BBC One.

Downing Street said people should not travel to amber list countries such as Italy and urged fans to follow the rules.

The prime minister's official spokesman said: "Obviously we appreciate how fans will want to do everything possible to support the England team but we do need to balance that against the need to protect public health.

"We would urge everyone to comply with the guidelines and rules that we have in place."

Italian media are reporting that the interior ministry is devising a plan to strengthen controls at transport hubs like airports ahead of Saturday's match.

ANSA, the Italian news agency, quotes government sources saying that the five-day quarantine rule for all those who arrive from the UK has to be "strictly followed" and there will be "no exceptions".

One England fan who will be able to travel to the match is Luke Curner, who lives in Helmstedt in Germany but is originally from Kent.

The 36-year-old German language student told the BBC News it was "incredible" to watch England beat Germany while surrounded by his German wife's family and friends after "all the years of hurt".

"We've got two young daughters and when England scored the goals both of them woke up screaming because of me, so my wife was not happy," he said.

"Luckily I get to take her to Rome at the weekend so I will make up for it that way."

Having bought his tickets back in 2019 for his birthday weekend he said "all the stars had aligned for the game" - and while it was sad that the England fans would not be able to travel, he felt lucky.

"Unfortunately our seats are right at the back of the stadium so I am going to have to be very loud to make myself heard in the stadium," he said.

Dawn Hughes, who is originally from the Wirral but now lives in Rome, said she was on her phone in search of tickets as soon as England won - and managed to get one.

She said the last year had been "awful" with her catching Covid but said she would be "elated" if England won the tournament.

"With everything that's been going on, it would just be magic for everyone," she told BBC News.

England's win was their first in a knockout tie over Germany since the 1966 World Cup final.

Former England captain Alan Shearer said he couldn't remember Wembley ever being that loud for an England game, despite the reduced capacity, describing the atmosphere as "incredible".

Southgate said the team started talking about their next game in the dressing room. "It's a dangerous moment for us," he said.

"We'll have that warmth of success and the feeling around the country that we've only got to turn up to win the thing - and we know it's going to be an immense challenge from here on."

If England beat Ukraine, they will play the Czech Republic or Denmark in the semi-finals.

If England get to the final, Saturday's trip to Rome will be the only one of their seven matches not at Wembley.

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