The fan who walked into England’s locker room after its 0-0 tie with Algeria and by his account berated the players, claimed he ended up there after following a security guard’s directions torestroom. Londoner Pavlos Joseph, 32, was arrested the next morning at his hotel for trespassing and released on bail.
Joseph said that when his companions hadn’t arrivedat their meeting spot on the stadium concourse, he found a security guard, 45 minutes after the game, who “sent me off back along a walkway underneath the stand out on to the pitch in the direction ofthe players’ tunnel and explained that there were toilets near there. … I walked across the grass and up through the tunnel. … Before I knew it I found myself in the dressing room. … Therewas David Beckham standing in front of me. …
“I saw Joe Cole walk naked out of the shower a few feet away from me. He glanced at me and then did a massive doubletake. Then David [Beckham] looked at me. His face seemed to drop. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The room was dead silent. The players were sittingon benches with towels round their waists just looking at me. They looked like they were in shock. … It was surreal. “Suddenly David spoke. He took a step towards me and said, ‘Whoa, whoare you?’
“At first I didn’t know what to say. I glanced around at everyone again and then looked back at him. I said, ‘I’m Pavlos and I actually need thetoilet.’ For a moment, no-one said a word. Then I thought, ‘What the heck. I’m in the England dressing room. Why not say something?’ I looked David straight in the eye andsaid, ‘David, we’ve spent a lot of money getting here. This is a disgrace. What are you going to do about it?’”