Gareth Southgate has stepped down as manager of the England men’s national team.
Southgate’s decision follows England’s defeat in the European Championship final to Spain on Sunday.
After that match, the 53-year-old player refused to discuss his future, as his contract expired in December.
“As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for and manage England. It has meant everything to me and I have done everything I could,” Southgate said in a statement via the FA on Tuesday.
“But it’s time for a change, and a new chapter. Sunday’s final in Berlin against Spain was my last game as England manager.
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“I have had the privilege of managing a great group of players in 102 games, each one proud to wear the three lions on their shirt, and they have been a credit to their country in so many ways.
“The squad we have taken to Germany is full of exciting young talent and they can win the trophy we all dream of. I am so proud of them and hope we can stand behind the players and team at St George’s Park and the FA who strive every day to improve English football and understand the power of football to bring about positive change.
“I look forward to watching and celebrating the players create more special memories and connect and inspire the nation as we know they can.”
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Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland has also resigned.
England reached the European Championship final twice in succession under Southgate, but were defeated in both games (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images)
Southgate joined the England squad as head coach of the Under-21s in 2013. The former Middlesbrough manager was given interim charge of the senior side in September 2016 following the sacking of Sam Allardyce, with his appointment being made permanent two months later.
In the previous two major tournaments, England lost in the round of 16 at Euro 2016 to Iceland and were knocked out of the 2014 World Cup in the group stage. Expectations were high for the 2018 World Cup, with the Football Association stressing that a long-term plan was in place.
However, Southgate guided England to the semi-finals. It was the first time since 1996 that the men’s team had reached the semi-finals of a major tournament, and the first time since 1990 that they had reached a World Cup. Southgate was widely praised for the much-improved, positive team culture he had created.
England beat Colombia on penalties in the round of 16 and the victory was seen as particularly poignant for Southgate after he missed the decisive spot-kick for England in the semi-finals of Euro 96. The England manager had worked hard to change the mindset around penalties and ensure his team were prepared for the eventuality, and in doing so ended a run of five consecutive defeats in major tournaments.
(Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
England later suffered a 2–1 defeat in extra time to Croatia in the semi-final, having beaten Sweden 2–0 in the previous round.
Ahead of Euro 2020, Southgate wrote an open letter to supporters in the Players’ Tribune as the country emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic. He wrote about what it meant to represent England, the culture and identity of the team, and stressed the importance of his team talking about issues of equality and racial injustice. The England team took the knee before every Euro 2020 match.
Southgate’s team reached the final of Euro 2020, the first major tournament final for the men’s team since 1966. They defeated Germany, Ukraine and Denmark in the knockout stages, with the victories over Germany and Denmark coming at Wembley Stadium.
The final went to penalties after a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes. Italy won the shootout 4-3 after Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford missed their respective spot kicks – the latter two having been brought on as substitutes by Southgate in the 120th minute.
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The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was expected to be Southgate’s last time in charge of England. He led the team to the quarter-finals, where they were defeated by eventual runners-up France. Captain Harry Kane missed a late penalty in the 2-1 defeat and it was later confirmed that Southgate would remain in charge of England.
England were among the nations that had planned to wear a OneLove bracelet at the tournament in a move seen as a gesture of solidarity with LGBTQI+ people, who are criminalised in Qatar. However, they backed out after being threatened with sporting sanctions by FIFA, with Southgate later admitting that members of the LGBTQI+ community felt “let down” by the decision.
Southgate decided not to select Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish, players who had previously been regulars in his squad, for Euro 2024.
The team struggled to perform throughout the tournament, scoring just two goals in the group stage. They needed a last-minute bicycle kick from Jude Bellingham to avoid being knocked out in the last 16 by Slovakia, with Kane scoring the winning goal in extra time.
Southgate’s team then defeated Switzerland in the quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw on penalties, before coming from behind to beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the semi-finals, with Ollie Watkins coming on as a substitute and scoring the winning goal in the final minute.
Sunday’s final saw England fall behind shortly after half-time through Nico Williams, with substitute Cole Palmer equalising in the 73rd minute. However, Spanish substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winning goal with just minutes remaining to condemn England to two straight defeats in the European Championship final.
(Top photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)