'England Eliminated in Quarterfinals' Southgate Says "I Will Decide My Future After Some Time"

After the quarterfinal match against France, a scene of Coach Southgate [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] Gareth Southgate (52), the manager of England who was eliminated after losing to France in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, stated that he will take time to calmly consider his future.

After the World Cup quarterfinal match against France held on the 11th (Korean time) at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Southgate said in a local interview regarding his future, "Whatever decision I make, I need to be confident that it is the right one, and for that, I need some time."

Southgate, who has been leading the England national team since 2016, has a contract until December 2024. However, due to England's poor performance in the UEFA Nations League just before the World Cup, calls for his dismissal arose, and after the World Cup results fell below expectations, these calls have gained more momentum.

Southgate said, "Having expended a lot of emotions and energy during the tournament, I need time after it ends to make the right decision. Whenever that time comes, I want to make the right decision for the team, England, and the Football Association (FA)."

He added, "We played well against the best teams. We came here to win, and we believed we could. I think we showed that we are indeed that kind of team against the defending champions."

Regardless of the dismissal talks, the players expressed their desire for the manager to stay. Harry Kane (Tottenham), who served as captain and key striker in this World Cup, said, "We like having him as our manager. He definitely wants to stay. From a player's perspective, we are really happy to be with him."

Midfielder Declan Rice (West Ham) also said, "I hope he stays. There is a lot being said about the manager, but he has been great for us. I think there has been a lot of unfair criticism. It’s good to play for him and for England."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.