Gary Lineker has called for Gareth Southgate to step down as England manager. (Image: BBC)
Gary Lineker has called for Gareth Southgate to resign as England manager after failing to win Euro 2024. Despite leading his country to their first ever major tournament final on foreign soil in Germany, there was more heartbreak for the Three Lions as they went down 2-1 to Spain, courtesy of Mikel Oyarzabal’s late strike.
Lineker had previously been scathingly critical of England’s group stage displays, which yielded a 1-0 win over Serbia before lacklustre draws with Denmark and Slovenia.
England spent much of the 90 minutes on the back foot against Spain on Sunday, and despite Cole Palmer’s second half equaliser, struggled to create clear opportunities. The display fuelled the narrative that under Southgate, they have not utilised the attacking talent at their disposal.
And speaking on The Rest is Football podcast after the final, Lineker wants a change at the helm. “I think he’s been the right person to bring the nation together in terms of the football team,” he said.
“And, now, maybe it’s time for someone else with a more modern, attacking style of football. Because I think the game’s gone away from being successful if you’re really defensive.”
Gareth Southgate has taken England to successive finals at the Euros. (Image: Getty)
Pressed by co-hosts Micah Richards and Alan Shearer over who he would target as a replacement, Lineker was in little doubt. “Wouldn’t you go all out for Jurgen Klopp?” he asked.
Klopp, 57, is out of work after leaving Liverpool this summer. He’s vowed to spend 12 months away from the game after his eight-and-a-half-year stint at Anfield, but Lineker implied he’ll be ready to take the job following his short break, saying: “Klopp’s kind of been out of a job. He’ll have had a bit of a rest.”
Shearer also questioned whether the FA would go all out for a German manager, leading to a tongue-in-cheek response from the former Tottenham and Everton striker. “He’s not really German, is he?” he said. “He’s half German, isn’t he, because he’s been in England for so long.”
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England’s last foreign coach was Fabio Capello, who resigned ahead of Euro 2012 after the FA stripped John Terry of the captaincy. Roy Hodgson duly took over, with Sam Allardyce replacing him in 2016 for an ill-fated short stint before Southgate took charge.
Despite the apparent reservations of fans and pundits, Southgate is now the only England manager to lead his country to two tournament finals. His contract expires later this year, with the 53-year-old vowing to hold discussions with his family before deciding now whether he’ll continue through to the 2026 World Cup.