Gareth Southgate has called on his England players to be “fearless” as they stand on the brink of history on Sunday night, and told the nation: “I don’t believe in fairytales, but I do believe in dreams.”
England meet Spain in the final of Euro 2024 in Berlin, looking to finally end the country’s 58-year wait for a men’s major tournament triumph.
The Three Lions have been on a rollercoaster ride to the German capital, starting the tournament slowly and coming from behind to win all three knockout matches in dramatic late fashion.
While Spain head into Sunday’s final as favourites, there is a growing sense of destiny around the manner of England’s progress, but Southgate has warned his team that fate will not hand them the trophy at the Olympiastadion.
I want the players to feel that fearlessness. If we’re not afraid to lose, it gives us a better chance of winning
“Look, I’m not a believer in fairytales but I am a believer in dreams,” he said. “We’ve had big dreams, we felt the need and importance of that. But then you have to make those things happen.
“Fate, the run we’ve had, the late goals, the penalties, that doesn’t equate to it being our moment. We have to make it happen tomorrow. Of course it would be a lovely story but it’s in our hands and our performance is the most important thing.”
England came agonisingly close to the same prize three years ago, when beaten on penalties by Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
That defeat brought back cruel memories of Southgate’s most infamous moment as a player, when he missed a vital penalty in the semi-final shootout defeat to Germany at Euro 96.
Having lived through the heartache, however, the 53-year-old says he will go into tomorrow night’s semi-final unburdened by history - and challenged his players to do the same.
“Those difficult nights have taught me that football can change so quickly,” he said. “The difference between winning and losing is so small. To represent my country as a player and then be able to lead my country to eight years as a manager, has been the biggest privilege I could possibly have.
“Tomorrow, I don’t have any fear of what might happen because I’ve been through everything. I want the players to feel that fearlessness. If we’re not afraid to lose, it gives us a better chance of winning. That’s very important for us.”
Southgate’s future beyond the end of the tournament remains uncertain, though the FA are desperate for him to extend his stay beyond the end of his contract in December and through to the 2026 World Cup.
To represent my country as a player and then lead my country as a manager, has been the biggest privilege I could have
After a spell of abject tournament performance, Southgate has transformed England into perennial contenders, with a quarter-final, semi-final and two finals to show for his four campaigns. He admits, however, that only capping that period with silverware will do now.
“We tried to change mindset from the start, tried to be more honest about where we were as a football nation,” he said. “I’ve travelled to World Cups and European Championships watching as an observer and watched highlights reels before matches on the big screens and we weren’t in any of them. They only show the finals. We needed to change that.
“We’ve come through a lot of big nights now, a lot of records we’ve broken. But we know in the end we have to do this one. We have to get this trophy to really feel the respect of the rest of the football world.”
