The Football Association wants Gareth Southgate to remain England manager beyond the Qatar 2022 World Cup and will open talks regarding a new contract after Euro 2020.
The governing body has been so impressed by Southgate’s first five years as Three Lions manager that bosses are prepared to extend his current deal – worth around £3m per year – even if England lose against Germany in the last-16 game on Tuesday.
Supporters have been critical of the style of football England have played at Euro 2020. The team topped Group D after recording wins against Croatia and the Czech Republic and a draw with Scotland. They kept three clean sheets but only scored two goals.
After leading England to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup – the first time they had reached the last four of the World Cup in 28 years – Southgate signed fresh terms that take him up to the end of Qatar 2022.
“We’d love him to carry on beyond this contract,” FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said. “Our support is unwavering, 100 per cent unwavering. We are 100 per cent behind Gareth. He knows how we feel about him. We feel he is brilliant both on and off the pitch. We want him to carry on.
“He’s doing a great job. Regardless of Tuesday. Absolutely. Regardless of the group stage of the tournament we would have wanted him to carry on.”
Bullingham insisted that the FA has not had to rebuff any approaches from clubs trying to poach Southgate from England, adding, “I’m sure his name gets bandied around for every job, but as far as I know he’s really committed to the job and I think he’s doing it brilliantly.”
Under Southgate, England also reached the finals of Uefa’s inaugural Nations League competition, qualifying by winning a group that included Croatia and Spain.
After the European Championship was delayed by a year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Cup, set to be held in winter for the first time, is only 18 months away. The 2024 European Championship, to be held in Germany, will then only be another year-and-a-half on from that.
More from i on Euro 2020
- England aren’t ‘rubbish’ and Southgate isn’t a ‘fraud’ – we just need a bit of patience
- What the Premier League could learn from Euro 2020’s controversy-free referees
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3dhQ9SD
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