Southgate to stay as England manager

DOHA, Qatar (AP):

England coach Gareth Southgate has confirmed that he will stay on beyond the World Cup, after saying he needed time to consider his future.

Southgate has moved quickly to end the uncertainty around his job by informing the FA of his intention to lead them at the European Championships in 2024.

"We are delighted to confirm that Gareth Southgate is continuing as England's manager, and will lead our Euro 2024 campaign. Gareth and Steve Holland have always had our full support, and our planning for the Euros starts now," the FA said yesterday.

England reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, losing 2-1 to defending champions France.

Afterwards, Southgate, who is under contract until December 2024, said he could not guarantee he would see out that deal.

"Whenever I've finished these tournaments I've needed time to make the correct decision because emotionally, you go through so many different feelings, and the energy that it takes through these tournaments is enormous," he said.

With no obvious successor to Southgate, his comments led to speculation about potential replacements and prompted a debate about whether the next manager would have to be English.

The FA has been clear in its desire for Southgate to stay on after he transformed England's fortunes.

England were in crisis when he was hired in 2016.

They had suffered a humiliating loss to Iceland in that year's European Championship. Sam Allardyce took over but lasted just one game and 67 days in charge, after being filmed by undercover journalists offering advice on how to sidestep an illegal player transfer practice and trying to cash in on his job with speaking engagements.

Under Southgate, England made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018, and lost on penalties to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.

Southgate was jeered by England fans after a 4-0 loss to Hungary in June -- their worst home defeat since 1928, but performances at the World Cup were promising, even if a quarter-finals exit was the earliest Southgate has been knocked out of a major tournament.