**John Stones Reacts to England’s Shock Loss to Greece: ‘Absolutely Gutted’**
**WHAT HAPPENED?**
John Stones captained England as they suffered a dramatic 2-1 defeat to Greece on Thursday evening. England had seemingly salvaged a 1-1 draw with Jude Bellingham’s late equalizer, only for Greece to secure a last-minute victory when Vangelis Pavlidis scored in injury time. The match carried extra emotional weight for Greece, as their team was mourning the tragic death of teammate George Baldock, who passed away just a day before the game.
The shock of the defeat was compounded by the knowledge of what Greece were going through, and Stones admitted it was a challenging night for their opponents in light of the tragic circumstances.
**WHAT STONES SAID**
Reflecting on the loss, Stones said, “On a personal note, absolutely gutted. First time with the armband, and a result like this. It’s hard to put into words. After all the emotions from yesterday, we prepared as we normally do, but it didn’t work out. It’s a shame it happened on a night like this.”
Stones gave credit to Greece, acknowledging their strong performance: “They put us under pressure from the start. We struggled to play our usual game, finding it hard to break their compact defense. It was disappointing from our side.”
He also expressed his sympathy for Greece, especially in light of Baldock’s passing: “For everyone in the dressing room and at The FA, our condolences go out to his family. Some of the boys were close to him. We knew it wasn’t an easy day for them. Dean Henderson, in particular, was close to him, and it wasn’t easy for him with that news.”
**WHAT NEXT?**
England will face Finland this weekend, aiming to rebound from the defeat and return to winning form.
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