He was speaking to the media after England’s heartbreaking loss to Italy.
Gareth Southgate has spoken of his pride in his England side, saying that the team “brought the country together.”
The England manager also condemned the racist abuse that some of his players received after the penalty shoot out defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final, describing it as “unforgivable.”
At a press conference in Monday, Southgate said his team had been a “beacon of light” throughout the tournament. He added: “We heal together as a team now. We’re here for them and I know 99 percent of the public will be as well.”
England’s defeat came after a devastating penalty shootout defeat, in which Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed their penalties. The trio have been subjected to racist abuse in the aftermath of their misses, with the Metropolitan Police has said it will be investigating.
"For some of them to be abused is unforgivable."
England Manager Gareth Southgate has condemned the racist abuse Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka have received after the team was defeated by Italy in the Euro 2020 final, adding: "It's just not what we stand for." pic.twitter.com/AyPvnldgjk
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) July 12, 2021
Along with Southgate, Boris Johnson and Prince William have also condemned the abuse the three players received.
The Prime Minister described the abuse as “appalling,” with the Duke of Cambridge saying that it is “totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour.”
Speaking at the press conference the day after the defeat, Southgate said: “The players have had an incredible togetherness and brought so many parts of the country together. We should be proud. For some to be abused is unforgivable. It is not what we stand for. We’ve been a beacon of light bringing people together.
“The national team stands for everybody. We’ve shown the power our country has when it comes together. We should be proud of the players. I know 99 percent of the public will be there for them.
“All of this team can go again but the younger ones are two to four years from peaking. They’ve had great insight into tournament football.”
