London: England manager Gareth Southgate hinted Monday that he wants to continue in charge of the national team in the 2022 World Cup. Gareth Southgate made the comment after England’s loss to Italy in the final of the Euro 2020 championships. Southgate said it wasn’t ‘an appropriate time to think about anything’. He however, added that ‘as I sit here today, I would want to take the team to Qatar’.
“I don’t think now is an appropriate time to think about anything. We’ve got of course, to qualify for Qatar. However, I need some time to go away, watch last (Sunday) night’s game again, reflect on the whole tournament, I need a rest. It’s an amazing experience but to lead your country in these tournaments takes its toll. I need a break now,” Southgate said.
Southgate has led England to the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and Nations League a year later, plus the final of the Euro 2020.
“I don’t want to commit to anything longer than I should. I never want to outstay my welcome. So all of those things need consideration before I even think about sitting down and talking, But as I sit here today, I would want to be taking the team to Qatar. I feel that we have made progress over the four years (since he took over full-time). We’ve had a fourth place, a third place and a second place in major tournaments. It is probably as good as any other team in Europe bar those that have won the tournaments. For consistency England is right up there,” Southgate added.
Southgate also said that the racist social media abuse of the players who missed penalties in the final was ‘unforgivable’.
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Southgate said that his team ‘have been a beacon of light in bringing people together’ during the tournament in which England reached a first major final in 55 years.
Southgate also spoke on the racist abuse on social media aimed at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka. “The players have had an incredible togetherness and spirit which I think has brought so many parts of our country together. So they should be – and I think they are – incredibly proud of what they’ve done,” Southgate pointed out.
“For some of them to be abused is unforgivable really. I know a lot of that has come from abroad, people who track those things have been able to explain that. But not all of it and it’s just not what we stand for. We, I think, have been a beacon of light in bringing people together and the national team stands for everybody. So that togetherness has to continue and we’ve shown the power our country has,” the England manager signed off.
