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Sarina Wiegman said it took her three weeks to get over England Women’s World Cup final defeat, as she insists Gareth Southgate’s future is for him to decide.
England’s men’s team lost to Spain in the Euros final in Germany 2-1, while the women’s team were beaten in the 2023 World Cup final, also at the hands of Spain.
Gareth Southgate’s future is in the balance, and it remains unclear whether he will decide to stay in charge of the national side following the defeat.
“Devastated for them, especially knowing some of them personally as well,” Lionesses captain Leah Williamson said.
“I think what Gareth and his team have done over the last three or four years, reaching finals and giving us that…bringing that dream closer to reality.
“We are very lucky as fans of England, men’s and women’s, to be in that position that we’re in.
“We didn’t quite get over the line, to a fantastic Spanish team and I know they’ll be devastated about it.
“It will take them a while I think, to get over it. But us as a country, we’ve been blessed with incredible tournaments and when those wins come, which I do believe they will, then they will be even sweeter.”
The England women’s team watched the Berlin final together from their hotel, as they prepare to face Sweden in Gothenburg in a 2025 European Championship qualifier.
Sarina Wiegman is one of the few who can understand what Southgate must be going through, although she delivered England’s first major trophy since 1966 with the women’s team in 2022.
“First of all it took me three weeks to get over it,” Wiegman said with a small chuckle.
“No it’s very hard, when you give everything and then it can go both ways of course, because you have an opponent who really wants to win too and has those qualities too, so when you have given your everything you hope you win and then when you don’t win you’re really disappointed.
“You start thinking ‘did we get everything out of ourselves?’ ‘did we do everything that we could?’ what was in our control, and then you have to accept it.
“It’s easier to accept a win than to accept a loss but for me it took a while.”
She added: “I would give myself a couple of days.”
“At moments it comes back and you think ‘I should have done this or that’ but I think that’s completely normal and you shouldn’t push it away, because you work so hard every day, it’s just your life.
“And when you’re so close, you really want to win it, and when that doesn’t happen, of course that’s a disappointment, and at the same time you’re moving on.”
When asked about Southgate’s future however, Wiegman said: “I think that’s absolutely for him, I have a very good relationship with him, but that’s something for him to reflect on, that’s absolutely not one for me.”
