22 August 2023 , 13:13
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The Football Association have defended the Lionesses after England fans waiting to give them a heroes welcome at Heathrow Airport were snubbed by the squad.
On Monday, social media footage emerged of supporters cheering Sarina Wiegman and co at Sydney Airport. The players, despite still reeling from the pain of their World Cup final defeat to Spain, were happy to pose for pictures with fans and sign autographs and memorabilia.
The scenes seemingly encouraged fans back in the UK to arrange a homecoming. Despite the squad falling at the final hurdle down under, they have been widely credited for inspiring a generation and helping grow the female game.
As a result, around 40 fans young and old gathered at Heathrow Terminal 3 early on Tuesday morning, with some having even slept at the airport on Monday night. It proved a wasted journey though, with the squad bypassing the supporters and departing through a VIP exit.
The reports that the FA have clarified that neither their men's or women's team ever go through arrivals after a major tournament, with the private departure today planned in advance for security reasons.
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And that seemingly would have applied to whether they won or lost on Sunday, as a breakdown in communication also left supporters disappointed. FA officials reportedly asked staff at Heathrow to inform arriving fans of the situation, but the message wasn't passed on.
The Lionesses will return to action on September 22 when they open their Nations League campaign. The side host Scotland at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, and the FA have implied that fans will get the opportunity to welcome the stars home then.
The signs were out from the fans but there were no players to greet (PA)HAVE YOUR SAY! Were the Lionesses wrong to blank the fans at the airport? Comment below.
The post-final devastation of the England players was plain for all to see on Sunday, and Arsenal forward Alessia Russo has now outlined the hurt sweeping through the squad. But she did also take the time to thank fans for their support, both back under and back home.
On Instagram, Russo wrote: “Heartbroken that it wasn't meant to be but so proud and grateful to be a part of this special team. There is nobody else I would want to be on this journey with. I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us from afar and those that travelled out to the other side of the world! We will cherish the memories for a lifetime."
“To those who have made us feel so welcome during our time in Australia, thank you. It has been the most incredible 6 weeks. For now we rest up and recover but have absolutely no doubt this team will be back stronger than ever x."