England star gallery Gareth Southgate is struggling to bring magic to supporters in this year’s European Championship. The manager of the national team admits himself that the criticism bothers him.
Sunday 7 July at 14:13
After the third pool match against Slovenia, empty beer cups were thrown at the England coach. Southgate then urged the nation’s supporters to back the players.
The 53-year-old admits that the criticism from journalists and supporters is sometimes harsh.
– I don’t think it’s normal for someone to throw cups of beer at you. I can’t deny that it hurts when it gets as personal as it does,” Southgate said, according to the BBC.
England are ready for the EC semi-final against the Netherlands. This is the third time in the last eight years that Southgate has led the English to that stage in an international competition.
– We will continue to enjoy this trip. If I’m not going to enjoy this moment, then everything is just a waste of time. Sometimes this job is a joy.
After several weak championships, Southgate took charge of the England national team in September 2016. Two years later, he led the team to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia, before losing in the final of the European Championship by a year later. In Qatar a year and a half ago, France were eliminated in the quarter finals of the World Cup.