Southgate’s resignation as England manager comes after strong criticism over his picks and line-up choices at Euro 2024. Who is more likely to replace him?
England football team boss Gareth Southgate announced his resignation on Tuesday, following speculation about his future and widespread criticism over his performance at the Euro 2024.
“As a proud Englishman, it has been the honour of my life to play for England and to manage England. It has meant everything to me, and I have given it my all”, he said in a statement published on Tuesday by the English Football Association (FA).
“But it’s time for change, and for a new chapter. Sunday’s final in Berlin against Spain was my final game as England manager.”
“I look forward to watching and celebrating as the players go on to create more special memories and to connect and inspire the nation as we know they can.”
Southgate’s contract was due to expire this year, and his announcement came after months of uncertainty.
The move comes shortly after England lost the Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday.
Southgate had initially refused to talk about his future, and there was no apparent hint that he would step down.
The 53-year-old boss faced harsh criticism throughout the whole Euro 2024 campaign over England’s sparkless performances and his decisions regarding player employment and positioning in the team.
During the group stage, fans threw empty plastic cups at him from the stands despite leading England to reach first place in the table and progress to the final.
He said, back then, he’d never seen any team qualify and receive such a treatment.
But many fans were expecting more from what was deemed to be the highest-valued squad of the entire tournament, with €1.52 billion in player worth, and featuring world-class stars and Champions League winners such as Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden.
What kind of legacy will Southgate leave?
Gareth Southgate took over England in 2016 and managed them for 102 games until his resignation on Tuesday.
His two most outstanding achievements were bringing England to their first final since the 1966 World Cup at the Euro 2021 and reaching back-to-back Euros finals this year.
He did pretty well in the World Cup, too, reaching fourth place in 2018 and losing to finalist France in the 2022 quarter-finals.
Before Southgate’s arrival, England had won only seven knockout games at tournaments since 1966. The team won nine during his tenure.
England also ranked in the top five of FIFA’s rankings for six years under Southgate. The team’s longest run was about seven months.
Prince William, who is also the FA president, took to X immediately after the announcement to thank the manager, calling him an “all-round class act”.
He said Southgate created a team “that stands shoulder to shoulder with the world’s finest” and should be “proud of what he achieved” during his tenure.
“Gareth has made the impossible job possible and laid strong foundations for future success. He is held in the highest regard by the players, the backroom team, by everyone at the FA and across the world of football,” FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said.
Speaking to UK broadcaster Sky News shortly after the resignation, former FA executive director David Davies said Southgate was England’s “most outstanding manager of my lifetime,” adding that he should “have left after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar”.
Southgate broke the record for England’s longest unbeaten run at the Euros — a total of 12 matches — but ultimately failed to bring home the trophy that The Three Lions have been waiting on for 58 years.
What’s next for England?
Speculations are mounting over who Southgate’s successor might be.
Although there are no obvious candidates to take over at the moment, some of the names that are circulating include three former Chelsea managers — Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel — as well as current Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and England U21 coach Lee Carsley.
According to Betfair, Potter is the best-placed to replace Southgate (6/4), followed by Howe (5/1), Carsley (11/12), Tuchel (6/1) and Pochettino (7/1).
Rumours also surround former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (14/1), although most experts don’t see it as a concrete possibility, considering he vowed to take a longer break from management and is said to have recently rejected the US national team.
