England manager Gareth Southgate is determined to still be in post for the Three Lions’ Euro 2024 reunion with Italy, but knows it all hinges on how his team perform in the World Cup in Qatar this winter.
England have been drawn against their Euro 2020 final conquerors in qualification Group C for the next continental finals in Germany in two years’ time, along with Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta.
Southgate is contracted until the end of the next Euro finals but accepts he will be judged first on how his team get on at the World Cup, which starts next month.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “As we speak now, I’m contracted to this time in 2024, but I am also well aware that in football you have to get results.
“So the plan is there and the desire for continuity is there too, but I also don’t take for granted that you underperform and expect to stay in that office.”
The team have struggled for form at times during the Nations League campaign, which included a defeat to Italy in Milan last month and a goalless draw against them in Wolverhampton in June.
He told Sky Sports after the Euro 2024 draw: “We know the quality and depth that Italy have. England’s record against Italy is generally not very good – and we’ve got to improve that.”
While facing England at Wembley will bring back good memories for Azzurri boss Roberto Mancini, they will not be relishing a return to face North Macedonia, who eliminated the European champions in a World Cup play-off semi-final earlier this year to deny them a place in Qatar.
Wales appear to have a good chance of securing qualification for a third-consecutive major tournament after they were drawn in Group D alongside 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, Armenia, Turkey and Latvia.
Dragons boss Rob Page said: “I think we’re pretty pleased with the group. We’ve avoided some teams like Belgium, who we’ve played quite a bit in recent years.
“If you try to forecast what teams you’d prefer compared to others, we’re not far from it. Overall, pretty pleased.”
Republic of Ireland coach Stephen Kenny has long touted Euro 2024 as being the tournament where he feels his team will hit their true potential, but they face a daunting task to qualify from Group B after being drawn alongside world champions France as well as the Netherlands.
Greece and Gibraltar round out the group, and Kenny said: “Most countries would want to avoid France as the second seed, but that’s the reality (for us). It presents a great challenge also and one that we must embrace.
“It’s only eight games, we’ve shown the capacity to get results against Portugal, Serbia and Scotland, and – albeit in a friendly – against Belgium. We’ve shown the capacity to do that and we’re improving again.
“We’ve got to achieve something extraordinary to finish in the top two. Greece will also be strong. All the teams are capable of taking points off each other. So that’s the reality, it presents a real challenge and one that we must strive to overcome.
“I wanted it to be our destiny to get to Euro 2024. That was the big dream, that’s what we’re building the team towards.
“So this has presented a bit of a challenge, but it’s one that mustn’t deter us from being single minded in our approach to try and achieve that.”
Northern Ireland were in pot five and have been placed in Group H, one of the three six-team groups, alongside Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan and San Marino.
Their boss Ian Baraclough said: “I’m pleased that we’re in a pot of six. We wanted to be in a situation where in every game there’s something to play for rather than friendlies.
“Looking at the Finns and the Danes from pot one and two, it could have been a lot worse than that – I look at England and Italy, France and the Netherlands. Not being drawn in any of the first three groups was important as the draw was starting to evolve.
“I’m thinking people will look at that group and think there could be one or two surprises from it.”
Scotland, who will be pushing to qualify for a second-successive Euros, will face three-time champions Spain, Erling Haaland’s Norway plus Georgia and Cyprus in Group A.
All qualifiers for Euro 2024 will be played between March and November next year, with the group winners and runners-up qualifying. A further three places will be determined in play-offs to be played in March 2024.
