- Gareth Southgate’s England finish as runners-up at Euro 2024
- The Football Association ( FA) may reconsider the manager’s future.
- The player’s contract with the Three Lions will expire at the end of this year.
England manager Gareth Southgate has said it is not the time to make a decision about his future after his side were beaten 2-1 by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin on Sunday.
The 53-year-old has been in charge of the England national team since 2016 but his current contract expires in December this year and after failing to lead the สมัคร ufabet team to victory, there have been reports in the media that the Football Association ( FA) could decide on a major change in the near future.
Asked about his future, Southgate told the BBC : “It’s not the time for me to talk about that. I need to speak to the right people and give myself some time. To reach another final is a special opportunity but not winning it is difficult to take at the moment.”
Under Southgate, England have reached back-to-back Euro finals, losing the first on penalties to Italy, and have also reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
However, Southgate faced heavy criticism at this Euros, despite leading the team to the final, with the Three Lions fans believing that the team had a poor performance and was too defensive.
Meanwhile, pundits and former players have fiercely criticised Southgate’s performance, with some calling for the FA to appoint a new manager to replace him. However, everything remains quiet, with rumours that the Football Association is keen to keep the 53-year-old in the role.
Southgate said after the game: “The players will be given a huge amount of credit if they can help us achieve our target but when you get that close you have to make the most of the opportunity. They represented the nation with pride and, importantly, we were unbeaten in the final.”
“I just think Spain controlled the game more than us, but we are in a really good position in terms of the experience they (the players) have. Most of this team will definitely go to the next World Cup and maybe the next Euros. There are a lot of things to look forward to, but at the moment we are still in a period of disappointment.”
Meanwhile, Southgate admitted it was difficult to reflect on his eight years in charge but there was no doubt that this England side was strong enough to succeed at major tournaments in the future.
Southgate concluded: “Of course, to take England to two Euro finals is unprecedented, but we came here to win and we didn’t do it. England have great players, we are back in the most important game, it’s the last step and we missed it.”