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British man dies in Sofia before England's Euro 2020 qualifier

Bulgarian police were on patrol before the Bulgaria v England Euro 2020 qualifier

A British man has died in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia before England’s Euro 2020 qualifier.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it was “supporting the family of a British man who died following an incident in Sofia”.

Another British man suffered a minor injury in a separate incident, the FCO spokesperson said.

The announcement of the man’s death came as England prepared to take on Bulgaria in Sofia on Monday night.

The FA said it would not be commenting until the full circumstances of both incidents were clarified.

Meanwhile, a statement on Bulgaria’s Ministry of Interior said police officers in Sofia were called to help a 32-year-old “foreign national” at about 10:00 local time (08:00 BST).

“The police received a signal for a man in a helpless condition”, it said, and he was taken to hospital.

“He suddenly began to act aggressively, raging and threatening.”

The ministry said the man died while being take to the Sofia Police Department and “work to clarify the circumstances of the incident continues”.

England fans were involved in clashes with police in Prague on Friday, before their 2-1 defeat by the Czech Republic.

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Rugby World Cup: Billy Vunipola tells of England's group therapy

Vunipola scored a try during England’s 45-7 win over United States

2019 Rugby World Cup Hosts:JapanDates:20 September to 2 November Coverage:Full commentary on every game across BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, plus text updates on the BBC Sport website and app

England’s players had to learn how to talk about their feelings during “honesty sessions” before the World Cup, says Billy Vunipola.

The psychologist-led sessions were aimed at erasing the mental scars of the 2015 World Cup when hosts England bowed out at the group stage.

Coach Eddie Jones, appointed after that 2015 campaign, set up the therapy.

“Men don’t know how to talk about their feelings. It took us a while but we got there in the end,” Vunipola, 26, said.

England endured a miserable World Cup on home soil four years ago – exiting after successive defeats to Wales and Australia, the first time a host nation had been eliminated at the opening stage.

“Eddie has definitely got the baggage out. It was something that was very important to us and it has probably freed us up a lot in terms of our relationships,” Vunipola, who was part of the 2015 squad, said.

“Being brutally honest can hurt a few feelings. It was really good. She (psychologist Corinne Reid) gave us the platform to do it.

“It helps to listen to each other and care about another person’s opinion and take it on board, rather than going back to your room and having a little moan to your mate.”

England have kicked off their 2019 World Cup campaign in Japan with comfortable wins over Tonga and the United States. They are next in action on Saturday against Argentina.