England manager Gareth Southgate has admitted that Euro 2024 may be his last tournament with the team. The former defender/midfielder has been at the helm since 2016 and has guided the Three Lions deep into several competitions. Nevertheless, Southgate has yet to deliver a trophy to one of the top national teams in the entire world.
The coach’s current contract is set to expire in December, long after the European Championships conclude. Various reports suggest that the Football Association (FA) is willing to offer Southgate a new deal. The potential move would keep the manager in place at the 2026 World Cup across North America. Southgate, however, is now claiming that he may be fired if he does not deliver in Germany.
“If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore,” Southgate told Bild. “Then it might be the last chance. I think around half the national coaches leave after a tournament – that’s the nature of international football.”
“I’ve been here almost eight years now and we’ve come close. You can’t constantly put yourself in front of the public and say, ‘A little more please,’ as at some point people lose faith. If we want to be a big team and I want to be a top coach, then you have to deliver in the big moments.”
The England boss also claimed that extending his contract with the team ahead of Euro 2024 was never an option. Southgate asserted that signing a fresh deal before even playing at the competition would have added unwanted pressure to the team.
“The reason is that there would have been more criticism, which would have put more pressure on the team,” continued the coach. “England did that once before with Fabio Capello (ahead of the 2010 World Cup) and there was a big drama before the tournament. It’s better to check yourself after the tournament.”
England is set to enter Euro 2024 as one of the favorites to collect the trophy. After all, Southgate’s squad is filled with star players practically from front to back. The Three Lions are led by an exceptional attack headlined by Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham. The manager even admitted in the aforementioned interview that this is his best squad since becoming England’s manager.
Although rumors suggest England wants to retain Southgate beyond December, the upcoming tournament should ultimately help decide his future. The coach has previously led the team to the 2018 World Cup semifinals, the Euro 2020 final, and the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals. Nevertheless, he has failed to deliver a trophy despite regularly having one of the best squads in the world.
Not only has Southgate underperformed with England, but his team was knocked out in two of the aforementioned tournaments by underdogs. The Three Lions were previously beaten by Croatia at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. They were then edged out by Italy in the 2020 Euro final. Although the eventual winners were a solid squad, England was ranked higher by FIFA and the tournament-deciding match was played in London.
England has been placed in a winnable Group C at the upcoming tournament alongside Denmark, Serbia, and Slovenia. Assuming they top the quartet, they will then face a third-placed team from another group in the first knockout round. There now cannot be any more excuses for Southgate and the Three Lions.
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