BY ROHITH NAIR
Gareth Southgate resigned from his role as England manager on Tuesday after yet another heartbreaking final loss at the Euros, their second straight failure in the title decider of the continental tournament.
England lost 2-1 to Spain in Sunday’s finale in Berlin and the 53-year-old Englishman said afterwards that he would discuss his future with his bosses.
Southgate then made his decision on Tuesday, saying in a statement: “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.
“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...”
Under Southgate, England reached the 2018 World Cup semifinals while their run to the final at Euro 2020 was also remarkable.
With most of their games being played on home soil, the country began to dream of lifting their first trophy since the 1966 World Cup.
But that dream was shattered at Wembley when Italy beat England on penalties while Southgate's side crashed out of the quarterfinals at the World Cup the following year in Qatar.