‘It’s my fault and it TOTALLY rests on me’: Gareth Southgate takes responsibility for choosing England penalty-takers after heartbreaking Euro 2020 final loss, with Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford all failing to score from the spot
England manager Gareth Southgate has taken full responsibility for choosing the side’s penalty takers after a heartbreaking Euro 2020 final defeat on spot-kicks against Italy.
Harry Kane and Harry Maguire scored the first two penalties but Marcus Rashford missed and Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka saw their penalties saved by Player of the Tournament Gianluigi Donnarumma as England lost via a familiar method.
And the Three Lions boss revealed rather than players choosing to nominate themselves to take a penalty, he picked the takers based on their performance and prowess in training.
England boss Gareth Southgate took full responsibility for choosing the side’s penalty takers
Bukayo Saka (centre), plus Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, did not score from the spot
Southgate said: ‘We’re hugely disappointed. The players have been an absolute credit and given everything they possibly could. They can’t have any recriminations, they’ve gone further than we’ve gone for so long but it’s incredibly disappointing in the dressing room.
‘The penalty takers was down to me. Nobody is on their own. It’s absolutely on all of us not being able to win the game tonight. It’s my fault and it totally rests on me. We were well prepared and started it well but the guys weren’t able to convert tonight.
‘We are all together, they’ve been incredible to work with. Tonight is very difficult of course, the chance to win trophies is so rare in your life but they should be incredibly proud of themselves.
But the Three Lions manager admitted that it was his decision to choose the penalty takers
Roberto Mancini’s Italy eventually won the Euro 2020 final 3-2 on penalties at Wembley
‘I’m sure in a few days we can take positives, but at the moment the weight of defeat is huge. This team can be better and can improve but I need time to reflect on tonight.
Luke Shaw had given England the lead after two minutes, before Leonardo Bonucci equalised in the second half from close range after a corner caused havoc in the penalty area – it was only the second goal England conceded in the tournament.
Roberto Mancini’s side did see two penalties saved, from Andrea Belotti and Jorginho, by the impressive Jordan Pickford, but scored three via Domenico Berardi, Leonardo Bonucci and Federico Bernardeschi to win the tournament at Wembley.