After a disappointing World Cup that saw England knocked out in the quarter-finals, the English FA have confirmed that manager Gareth Southgate will retain his position for Euro 2024.
“We are delighted to confirm that Gareth Southgate will continue as England manager and will lead our Euro 2024 campaign,” said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham.
Gareth and Steve Holland [assistant manager] we have always had our full support, and our planning for the Euro starts now,” Bullingham continued.
Strong criticism from experts
After a strong attack from pundits, fans and journalists around the world, Southgate was divided on whether he should remain manager of the Three Lions.
“There are a lot of things in my head that are really conflicting at the moment,” Southgate confessed in his post-match conference.
However, some persuasive words from England’s best and the charm of leading England to their first trophy in a long time presumably saw Southgate back into the prestigious position.
He will lead England into key clashes against the likes of Italy and Ukraine in qualifying for Euro 2024.
Lack of potential successors
Some key reasons the FA renewed Southgate’s contract included tactical consistency, an appreciation for his great Euro 2020 run and a lack of potential successors.
England looked strong in their Qatar spell early on, defeating Iran with a powerful 6-2 win. Surprisingly, they drew with the USA before ending their group stage with a 3-0 win over Wales. After a huge win over reigning African champions Senegal, Southgate’s offense faltered in their quarter-final match against France.
“England played a great game and I would like to tell them that we are proud to have beaten a great team,” said Olivier Giroud after scoring the winner against them.
Southgate is England’s winningest manager in modern history with 49 games in six years. With Southgate, England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, the semi-finals of the League of Nations and the final of the Euro Cup.
Photo credit: IMAGO / Colorsport
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