Gareth Southgate on his future as England manager and Euro 2024 final against Spain

Gareth Southgate on his future as England manager and Euro 2024 final against Spain

let’s go straight to rob in Germany I’m hoping Rob you’re going to tell us he’s feeling confident oh there is a certain confidence within this Camp the fact they’ve been there before in a final three years ago although they lost to Italy it’s given them that experience so it doesn’t feel that unusual but it’s something that certainly gareis Southgate isn’t taking for granted as he prepares for a back-to-back European final he knows about the 58 years of hurt for the three lines and the struggle to land silverware and what a huge occasion it will be in Berlin The Showdown with Spain for the three lines to finally become European Champions but there is an element of uncertainty hanging over this final the future of gareis Southgate that’s something he’s addressed with me here at their blanken Han base in Germany where we’ve been discussing just what it means to him to be preparing for the European Championship final a big moment a waits for the nation you seem to approve many of those pundits and fans who might have questioned you wrong with your selections and substitutions how tough is it coping with the pressure the magnitude of the occasion and as an English Patriot do you see this as trying to deliver a defining moment for the nation well definitely I took the job to try to help English football improve um I know what it would mean not only to General Public in England but particularly to people involved in English football from those that develop young players to those that run clubs to to every level of the game really um I think we’ve um improved The credibility of English football in how it’s perceived around the world but ultimately until you win that trophy then there will always be those questions both abroad and at home about what we’ve done as we look ahead to the final on Sunday before this tournament you said that you would walk away if you didn’t win it despite all the personal toll on and your family given the exciting players available now to you how difficult would it be to walk away especially if you win the final well nothing’s that difficult but um um emotionally it would be impossible for me to make a logical decision at the moment on any of that because my sole Focus for two years has been winning this tournament um the last five six weeks have been an absolute roller coaster so I don’t actually know where I am with anything other than um very focused on preparing the team for this game um and determined to keep leading them in the way we have over the last month are your family proud of you yeah but but that doesn’t depend on me winning a football match or not so I’m lucky in that regard and how lucky are the nation to have Gareth Southgate well some fans and pundits questioned whether he should still even and be manager after this tournament given those group station performances it’s been a bit of a grind at times but England have found a way through southgate’s contract runs until the end of the year and maybe he wants to go out on a high maybe he thinks there’s more to achieve with this team at the 2026 World Cup even in North America or perhaps he wants to test himself in another job in club football or he feels that now is the time to take a rest as we see some managers do but he wants the focus very much to be just on the team as they prepare to find a way past Spain and try to finally build on the platform they’ve been building from this is a manager who’s taken England to three semi-finals a level of consistency no predecessor has achieved for him now it’s all about Landing that Trophy and emulating the lionesses in 2022 and S Ralph Ramsey in 66 with the World Cup there’s a different feel um to have reached the first Final in 50 plus years was enormous um and yeah we’re now in a different moment as a team two tournaments on a lot more big match experience so I guess there was less of a celebration perhaps less satisfaction at reaching a final um I I don’t say it becomes run-of-the-mill but it’s a little bit more normal for us and uh that statement in itself is probably a bit ridiculous given our history well each each tournament has been different um each squad has been different this squad half of them had never been to a tournament before so um yeah they they’ll be viewing it in a different way to the guys that have been with us now for four tournaments and who’ve been knocking on the door uh of winning a trophy um but that’s brought a nice dynamic because you’ve got players who know what’s been needed to get to this point and have learned how to win and you’ve got guys that just think that’s what we do anyway and they’ve got no inhibitions so uh what’s impressed me is how well they’ve come together as a new group in such a short period of time and the strength and resilience theyve found to score the late goals to get through the penalty shootout um yeah to to get the country to the point they are now and GIS Southgate does have perhaps some welcome selection decisions to make with so many attacking options OE Watkins came off the bench to score the winner against the Netherlands on Wednesday in the semifinal and hearing from Gare Southgate there is that typical calmness he is the the man of the moment who everyone wants to speak to so to get the chance to get his Reflections ahead of what is a huge occasion for the country were certainly very welcome but from his media duties now it’s back to the team base to have his final bit of time with the players before they head to Bly in tomorrow where there are so many thousands of England fans descending ahead of that final the European championship against Spain on Sunday night yeah what a weekend it is going to be uh Rob in Germany thank you very much

Gareth Southgate has said it is ’emotionally impossible to make a logical decision’ on whether to stay on as England manager at the moment – even if he wins the European Championship.

In an interview with Sky’s Rob Harris, ahead of Sunday’s final with Spain in Berlin, Southgate insisted he had “improved the credibility” of English football – having felt hurt by criticism earlier in the tournament due to the team’s sluggish progress.

Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/gareth-southgate-suggests-he-has-not-yet-made-a-decision-about-his-england-future-13177149

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