England manager Gareth Southgate has quit. But footage has emerged of Jude Bellingham having an intense conversation with him on the pitch against Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
The England squad are back in the UK and while the dust is settling on Sunday night’s defeat, it will take some time for players, coaches and fans alike to get over the pain of losing a second straight European Championship final. Emotions will still be raw and they were certainly on display at the Olympiastadion on Sunday, as the ecstasy of Cole Palmer’s 73rd-minute equaliser gave way to the hammer blow that was Mikel Oyarzabal’s winning goal with just four minutes remaining.
One player who appeared to be struggling to keep a lid on his frustrations during the match was England midfielder Bellingham, who remonstrated with his boss in the 56th minute. In the 61st, captain Harry Kane was taken off: clearly, something changed in Southgate's mind.
While it was not picked up on the international broadcast that viewers in the UK will have been watching, a fresh angle shows the Real Madrid man heading to the touchline after breaking up a Spain attack just before the hour mark, with England 1-0 down after Nico Williams’ goal two minutes into the second half.
A clearly fired-up Bellingham can be seen having a lively exchange with Southgate, waving his arms and gesticulating wildly. ESPN reporter Mark Ogden was one person inside the stadium who clocked the confrontation.
“Jude Bellingham was getting frustrated,” he said. “I don’t know if it came across on camera, but just before Kane was taken off, Jude Bellingham lost it with Gareth Southgate on the side of the pitch, as if to say, ‘Change something, do something.’ And Kane was taken off.”
Shortly after this confrontation, Southgate made his first change, taking off skipper Kane for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins on 61 minutes. With Watkins’ ability to get in behind the defence, England showed an immediate improvement, with Southgate’s next change paying dividends, when Cole Palmer equalised three minutes after his 70th-minute introduction.
However, Spanish substitute Oyarzabal would net in the 86th minute after England sat back again when the scores were levelled, leaving England with not enough time to respond, meaning their wait for a major trophy will reach a 60th year before the next World Cup.
Southgate has since quit the England job, confirming the Spain game was his 102nd and final. The FA have hailed his performance over the past eight years in a statement, too.
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