London: After eight years, four tournaments and two finals, Gareth Southgate announced he was stepping down as England manager on Tuesday, saying it was “time for change.”
Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Spain in the European Championship final proved to be his last game 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,” he said. “But it’s time for change, and for a new chapter.”
Southgate’s contract was due to expire this year and his announcement comes after months of uncertainty surrounding his future.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th-minute winner in Berlin was a painful way to end his reign after he transformed the fortunes of England’s underperforming national team.
Hired in 2016, he led England to back-to-back finals at the Euros and to the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018.
But, ultimately, he was unable to end the nation’s decades-long wait for a first major trophy since the World Cup in 1966. “Gareth has made the impossible job possible and laid strong foundations for future success. He is held in the highest regard by the players, the backroom team, by everyone at the FA and across the world of football,” said Mark Bullingham, chief executive of the English Football Association.