June 11 – England manager Gareth Southgate has admitted that the upcoming European Championships in Germany could be his final swansong in charge of the national team.
Southgate’s contract expires in December and he concedes that the Euros, which kick off Friday, might be his last chance to win a major trophy with the Three Lions whom he has managed since 2016.
The 53-year-old, who led England to the Euro 2020 final and the 2018 World Cup semis, told German newspaper Bild: “If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore. It might be the last chance. I think about half the national team coaches leave after a tournament – that’s the nature of international football.”
England kick off their Group C campaign against Serbia on Sunday, followed by matches versus Denmark and Slovenia. Their hopes will be pinned to the likes of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who have enjoyed stellar campaigns at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively, despite silverware ultimately eluding the latter.
Southgate understands the ramifications of failing to end England’s 58-year wait for silverware.
“I’ve been here for almost eight years now and we’ve been close. So I know that you can’t keep standing in front of the public and saying, ‘A little bit more please’, because at some point, people lose faith in your message.
“If we want to be a great team and I want to be a top coach, then you have to deliver in the big moments.”
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