Former Crystal Palace defender Southgate: I could quit England post if we don’t win Euros
Former Crystal Palace defender Gareth Southgate has made it clear he could quit as England manager if they do not win the European Championships.
The Three Lions are one of the hot favourites to go all the way in Germany and kick off their Group C campaign against Serbia on Sunday evening.
Southgate, 53, has been in charge of the national team since 2016. England were runners up at Euro 2020, losing on home turf to Italy in the final, which went to a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.
“If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore,” Southgate told German media outlet BILD on Monday.
“So maybe it is the last chance. I think around half the national coaches leave after a tournament – that’s the nature of international football.
“I’ve been here almost eight years now and we’ve come close. You can’t constantly put yourself in front of the public and say ‘a little more please’, as at some point people lose faith.
“If we want to be a great team and I want to be a top coach, you must deliver in big moments.”
Southgate has yet to sign a new contract with the FA, with the governing body keen for the ex-Eagles defender to lead the country into qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Asked about why a deal has not been done, Southgate said: “The reason is that there would have been more criticism, which would have put more pressure on the team.
“England did that once before with Fabio Capello and there was a big drama before the tournament. It’s better to check yourself after the tournament.”
Southgate came through the youth set-up at Palace and made 152 first-team appearances, chipping in with 15 goals, before moving on to Aston Villa in 1995 for a fee of £2.5million.
Southgate has had 95 matches in charge of England – a total only surpassed by Walter Winterbottom (139) and Alf Ramsey (113).
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