Southgate resigns as England coach after defeat in Euro final
Gareth Southgate resigned as England manager on Tuesday after another stinging defeat in the European Championship final, his second consecutive failure in the continental tournament’s title clash.
Southgate resigns as England coach after defeat in Euro final
England lost 2-1 to Spain in Sunday’s final in Berlin, and the 53-year-old Englishman said after the game that he would discuss his future with the national team management.
“As a proud Englishman, it has been the honor of my life to play for England and to manage England. It meant everything to me and I gave it my all,” Southgate said in a statement.
“But it is time for change and for a new chapter. Sunday’s final in Berlin against Spain was my last game as England manager.
“I had the privilege of managing a great group of players in 102 games. Each of them was proud to wear the three lions on their shirt and they did honor to their country in so many ways.”
Prince William of Great Britain, who is also the president of the FA, thanked Southgate for his services.
“Thank you for creating a team that will stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world in 2024,” he said.
“Thank you for showing humility, compassion and true leadership under the most intense pressure and scrutiny. And thank you for being a classy man in every way.
“You should be incredibly proud of what you have achieved.”
From the youth to the senior team
After coaching England’s youth team for several years, Southgate took over the senior team job when Sam Allardyce resigned after just one game in charge.
A former international with 57 caps, Southgate took over an England team whose “golden generation” of players failed to impress at major tournaments.
With a young core of players, Southgate’s England have captured the imagination of a country lacking success on the international stage, becoming a force to be reckoned with in tournaments.
England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and their run to the finals of Euro 2020 was also remarkable.
With the majority of matches played at home, England began to dream of lifting their first World Cup trophy since 1966.
But that dream was dashed at Wembley as Italy beat England on penalties and then Southgate’s side were knocked out in the quarter-finals at the following year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Despite reaching the finals of Euro 2024, the road to Berlin was not easy as England struggled to find the back of the net and finished the group after scoring just two goals.
Angry fans hurled beer mugs and insults at Southgate, and his selection was also questioned, with him pleading with fans to support the team.
Although they beat Switzerland on penalties and the Netherlands with a last minute goal, beating Spain proved to be a step too far and Southgate was kind, saying the Iberian side deservedly became champions.
However, Southgate’s record of taking his teams far in tournaments is unmatched by any other England manager.
FA CEO Mark Bullingham said England will be “forever grateful” to Southgate and his assistant Steve Holland for everything they have achieved.
“In the 25 tournaments after 1966, before Gareth took over, we won seven knockout games,” Bullingham said.
“In his four tournaments we won nine. So in his eight years, he won more games that really mattered than in the previous 50 years.
“Before Gareth, the longest we were in the top five in the world was seven months. During his tenure, we were ranked there for six years.”
Bullingham said a search for a successor was underway and the FA had an “interim solution” in place should they fail to find a permanent replacement before the start of their Nations League campaign in September.
Source: www.mediafax.ro
