Southgate leaving role as England boss after Euros final defeat

Published
England manager Gareth Southgate looks dejected as he walks past the trophy after receiving his runners up medal.—Reuters
England manager Gareth Southgate looks dejected as he walks past the trophy after receiving his runners up medal.—Reuters

Gareth Southgate announced on Tuesday he is leaving his role as England manager after they lost to Spain in the European Championship final, their second straight loss in the final of the continental tournament.

Southgate took charge in 2016 and oversaw 102 games, leading the team to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 as well as the Euros finals in 2021 and 2024.

England lost 2-1 to Spain in Sunday’s showpiece and Southgate said after the game that he would discuss his future in charge of the national team.

“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,” Southgate said in a statement.

“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 have had the privilege of leading a large group of players in 102 games. Every one of them has been proud to wear the three lions on their shirts, and they have been a credit to their country in so many ways.”

England have only won the World Cup in 1966 but Southgate transformed the side which became a force to reckon with in tournaments after he took charge in 2016.

They also reached the quarter-finals at the 2022 World Cup, a year after losing to Italy on penalties in the Euros final.

Opinion

Editorial

Unfinished business
Updated 03 Jul, 2026

Unfinished business

THE landmark 18th Amendment and seventh NFC Award radically reshaped Pakistan’s fiscal federalism by transferring...
Abuse cycle
03 Jul, 2026

Abuse cycle

LULLED into a sense of false security by its own denial and apathy, Pakistan is a long way from achieving tangible...
Closing the gap
03 Jul, 2026

Closing the gap

THE numbers are encouraging, yet one cannot help but rue the opportunities still being lost. The GSMA’s Mobile...
‘Talks over hostility’
Updated 02 Jul, 2026

‘Talks over hostility’

THE recent appeal endorsed by civil society members from Pakistan and India, urging the prime ministers of both...
Lahore tragedy
02 Jul, 2026

Lahore tragedy

THE death of 14 children in the roof collapse of a private tuition centre in Lahore has plunged the entire country...
Data policy
02 Jul, 2026

Data policy

THE draft ‘Data Governance Policy’, released by the IT ministry recently, is a welcome step towards modernising...