England manager Gareth Southgate has said he will “talk to the right people” about his future after a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Uefa Euro 2024 final in the last major-tournament match of his current contract.
Southgate, who was appointed on a permanent basis in November 2016, guided the Three Lions to the semi-finals of the 2018 Fifa World Cup and successive Euro finals but faced intense criticism following England’s underwhelming start to the tournament in Germany.
Reports had suggested the FA want to offer Southgate a new deal following England’s more impressive win over the Netherlands in the semi-finals, when the 53-year-old’s gifted squad looked far closer to realising their full potential as a team.
It wasn’t to be for Gareth Southgate and England today.
“I think they [Spain] were the best team in the tournament.”#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #ESPENG pic.twitter.com/JawKiz6r7t
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 14, 2024
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Southgate: England ‘incredible’
“I’m devastated for everybody,” Southgate told ITV Football. “The players are incredible and I’m so proud of what they’ve done. We’ve just fallen a little short.
“I’ve got to talk to the right people. It’s just not for now. I don’t think now is a good time to make a decision like that.
“England are in a really good position in terms of the experiences they’ve got now. Most of this squad are going to be around for the [2026] World Cup and the next Euro.”
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Euro 2024: Spain ‘best team’
Cole Palmer’s 70th-minute equaliser was not enough for England in a decider in which they had far fewer significant chances and less than 35 per cent of possession.
Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal scored for Spain, with the likes of Declan Rice and Ollie Watkins praising Southgate and his staff before and after the game.
“They were the best team in the tournament,” Southgate said of a Spain side who extended their own record by winning a seventh match at a single Euro edition.
“We didn’t keep the ball well enough but we were right in it. There was a big chance to equalise at the end [through a Rice header] but, probably across the 90 minutes, I’m not sure we did quite enough.
“The players have got to take enormous credit but when you’re as close as that, you’ve got to take those chances.
“Spain press well and you have to keep the ball when you win it back. Defensively, we were fine in the first half – we just needed to retain the ball more. Maybe that takes it out of your legs.”
