England manager Gareth Southgate said “if I can’t enjoy this moment then it’s a waste of time” after his side reached the Euro 2024 semi-finals by beating Switzerland 5-3 on penalties.
The Three Lions’ moment of jubilation was made even sweeter for Southgate as he celebrated with supporters following the recent “difficult personal” criticism he has faced in Germany.
“Every now and then surely there has to be some enjoyment in this job,” said the England manager. “I love the players and sharing that moment with them.
“I can’t deny that when it’s [the criticism] as personal as it has been in the last few weeks on a human level, that’s quite difficult.”
England fell behind after 75 minutes, but Bukayo Saka levelled five minutes later to force extra time before victory in the penalty shootout.
They have now reached their third major tournament semi-final under Southgate’s management.
“Now we want to deliver one more thing – we have never been to a final outside England, never won a Euros, so there are two bits of history we would love to create,” he said.
