England manager Gareth Southgate was heartbroken after Saturday’s 2-1 World Cup quarter-final loss to France but said he would not make any decisions on his future in the heat.
When England captain Harry Kane missed a penalty in the final minutes, France held on to a 2-1 victory to set up a semi-final clash with Morocco on Wednesday in search of their second straight final.
“Whenever these tournaments are over, it takes time to make the right decision. Emotionally, you go through a lot of different feelings,” Southgate told reporters.
“The energy needed in these tournaments is huge. I want to make the right decision, whatever it is, for the team.”
Southgate said he was proud of his squad. “They know how close they’ve been, they know they’ve pushed a great team to the end, that they’ve had more possession, more shots on goal. I’m very proud of how they’ve played, not just tonight, but throughout the tournament,” he said.
“We’ve had consistent performances over three tournaments. Tonight’s game is the one we’ve played best against an important team since I’ve been in charge, but it didn’t catch up. In the end, the scoreboard is what matters.”
The coach also congratulated France, which could be the first team to win a world title since Brazil won it in 1962.
“It only remains to congratulate France and wish it good luck. It’s a fantastic team. They have brilliant players and Didier (Deschamps) has done a fantastic job. So congratulations to them.”
