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Gareth Southgate insists he has still not decided on his future, but that he will likely take a decision quickly after Euro 2024 regardless of what happens.
The England manager has considered the “angry” reaction back home after underwhelming performances at the tournament, admitting that he almost certainly would have gone had the team been eliminated in the group stages, although he half-joked that might not necessarily have been his choice.
When directly asked whether he has decided if the Euro 2024 final against Spain in Berlin on Sunday would be his last game, Southgate simply said: “no.”
“The way my emotions have gone over the last five weeks, it would be ridiculous for me to think about anything beyond Sunday,” Southgate said. “We’ve got time to make a decision.
“I won’t need weeks but, also, I think I’ve earned the right to give myself a few days to think things through, so I know where it would have been had we gone out in the group stage, that’s for sure… I don’t think it would necessarily have been my choice.”
While it had been previously thought that Southgate would leave no matter what, in part because he feels it is time, there have been hints that he might be considering staying.
One was on Wednesday after the semi-final win over the Netherlands, where he spoke about the youth of this squad in relation to how exciting it is for the 2026 World Cup, for the first time.
The Football Association has long been keen for him to stay, with that feeling only strengthened by a second successive European Championship final. Some close to the situation now believe it has become a genuine 50-50 decision again.