Gareth Southgate announces latest England squad
Gareth Southgate is reportedly set to quit as England manager after Euro 2024 following an eight-year spell in charge of the national team. And the FA could now turn their attentions to luring Pep Guardiola away from Manchester City as they seek Southgate’s replacement.
According to the Daily Mail, Southgate will walk after the Euros and would have headed for the exit after last year’s World Cup had he been given an attractive job.
Last winter, FA chiefs were desperate for Southgate to stay in his role, regardless of the outcome in Qatar. But they are now taking seriously the possibility that the 53-year-old will turn his back on the Three Lions job following the next major tournament.
England officials are open to persuading Guardiola to take the national job, with some at the FA viewing the Spaniard as the dream appointment. Guardiola has revolutionised Premier League football since taking the helm at the Etihad Stadium three months before Southgate took on his current role and has led the Citizens to five Premier League titles and the Champions League trophy.
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Guardiola won 47 caps for Spain during his playing days, racking-up five goals for his country. But the 52-year-old’s public support of Catalan independence may cause political barriers which prevent him being handed the Spain job in the future. And the FA could offer Guardiola his first job with a national set-up.
The FA could have their own obstacles to overcome, however, as Guardiola will be contracted to City for another year after Euro 2024. And his enormous wages could prove too steep for an organisation that lost up to £300million during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, FA chiefs had considered going after Eddie Howe, Graham Potter or Mauricio Pochettino in the event that Southgate decided to leave his role. But the ex-defender ultimately opted to stick around for another shot at European Championship success.
Southgate has enjoyed a stellar career as England manager and led his country to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, before backing that up with a place in the Euro 2020 final three years later. In Qatar, the Three Lions were dumped out by France in the quarter-finals as the team’s wait for a major trophy was extended to 56 years.
Despite having his fair share of critics, especially during a dire run of form last summer, Southgate has reignited the nation’s belief of tournament silverware. And the FA may now feel that Guardiola is someone who can take England to another level again if they can persuade him to put pen-to-paper on a Three Lions contract.
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