BERLIN — England manager Gareth Southgate knows what it is like to fall agonisingly short in major tournaments: penalties in 1996, extra-time in 2018, penalties again in 2021.
On the eve of the first final on foreign soil in the history of its men’s team, Southgate says that he “wants to win so much it hurts”.
It is unusual to hear managers so explicit about their desperation. Often we are treated to bland epithets about focus and calm heads, and clearly both apply to Sunday’s Euro 2024 final.
But Southgate is also clearly fuelled by everything he has experienced. He accepts that the result in Berlin may well define him, but only in the minds of others.
“I want to win so much on Sunday it hurts,” Southgate said. “But I can handle whatever comes and I know it’s not going to change what the dog thinks when I walk back through the door.”
After England’s semi-final win over the Netherlands, Southgate strode over to the away end, three games after he had been targeted with cups and beer thrown by supporters. Southgate screamed repeatedly in celebration. It is not a side we see often of England’s manager, but hammers home just how much he has emotionally invested into this job.
“Well it doesn’t look so great if you beat Lithuania away [and celebrate like that], people would question that a bit more I guess,” he said.
“But I was doing that in 1990 when David Platt scored and I was doing that in 1982 when Bryan Robson scored, so that’s where I am. I’m an England fan in the dugout.
“I have more responsibility now, but I’m desperate for England to win and I was the same as a player, I would celebrate with the fans at all of my clubs, I know sometimes because I’m not like that on the sideline, people might view that differently but my job on the sideline is to make good decisions, not to be a cheerleader.”
Southgate has been repeatedly criticised by supporters at home and in Germany during this tournament, with England’s style of play, lack of attacking threat, results and the manager’s use of substitutions.
But, while Southgate accepts that everyone is entitled to their opinion, he insists that he had to go and face those supporters (and their beer cups) as a strategy to protect the youngest players in England’s squad. That is the way in which unshakeable belief is maintained.
“There was a danger but I was determined to confront it,” Southgate said. “When the beer came over I was going to go and walk towards it because we fought too hard to change the environment for the players.
“If we’d suddenly had this environment where it’s ‘I’m not so sure I did enjoy that’ that would have undone the progress we’ve made. So I felt it important to fight for that in that moment. I was the only one who was going to be able to do that really.
“And I have no problem if I’m the lightning conductor – to take that for the players. Because in the end that’s the job. The job is to allow them to perform at their best.”
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