England suffered a 2-1 loss to Spain in the European Championship final on Sunday evening. This defeat extends Gareth Southgate’s team’s streak to 60 years without securing a major trophy and marks them as the first team to lose consecutive Euro finals.
Spain clearly outperformed England in their recent match, leading to visible frustration from Jude Bellingham towards manager Gareth Southgate.
According to ESPN’s Mark Ogden, Bellingham showed his frustration on the sidelines just before Harry Kane was substituted, indicating a plea for changes to be made.
Despite this incident, Bellingham defended Southgate’s managerial record after the game and emphasized their positive personal relationship, acknowledging Southgate for giving him his debut and making him feel welcomed in the squad.
He is someone who, I think, in the last year or two as well, our relationship’s kind of gone a little bit past football, where I feel like I can open up to him a lot and I think that speaks volumes of the kind of man he is as well.
Whatever happens with Gareth, I’ll always respect him. If he stays, then I’ll be even more determined to win something for him because he deserves it. Sometimes the numbers and the kind of statistics, the records don’t lie, he’s been our most successful manager since 1966. So whatever he decides, he will always have my respect and my love.”
This statement reflects Bellingham’s deep personal connection with Gareth Southgate, extending beyond football. Bellingham expresses his respect and admiration for Southgate, highlighting their growing relationship and his commitment to support Southgate, regardless of future decisions.
He acknowledges Southgate’s achievements and indicates a strong determination to succeed under his guidance, emphasizing loyalty and gratitude towards him.