Manager Southgate’s future still uncertain after England return home from Euro 2024 final

Gareth Southgate’s future as manager was still uncertain when England returned home from the European Championship on Monday.

Southgate’s contract expires this year and he has not said if he will lead England into the next World Cup in 2026.

The English Football Association is reportedly keen to tie him to a new contract.

England lost to Spain in the final of Euro 2024, extending its wait for a first major trophy to at least 60 years after winning the 1966 World Cup.

“There’s what’s right for the team, there’s what’s right for me. Yeah, lots of things to consider,” Southgate said after Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Berlin.

Southgate has transformed England’s fortunes since he was hired in 2016. He has led the team to back-to-back finals at the Euros and to the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018.

Before then, England’s best results since 1966 were the semifinals of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1996.

But Southgate has not been able to end England’s decades-long wait for silverware after losing the 2021 Euros final to Italy in a penalty shootout and, on Sunday, suffering defeat after Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th-minute winner.

Southgate said before the tournament it would likely be his last if England did not win and he endured fierce criticism early on in the Euros, when the team’s dour play prompted fans to throw plastic beer cups towards him at the end of the 0-0 draw with Slovenia.

The atmosphere shifted as England advanced thanks to dramatic late goals from Jude Bellingham and Ollie Watkins.

England Women’s manager Sarina Wiegman has led her team to success, winning the Euros in 2022. She followed that by leading the team to the Women’s World Cup final last year, when it also lost to Spain.

When asked if he should continue, Wiegman said, “That’s absolutely (up) to him. I have a very good relationship with him. That is something for him to reflect on and have the conversation with the people at the FA. That is absolutely not for me.”

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://ift.tt/A1FDXye

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