England want more than semi-final spots: Gareth Southgate
England have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and Nations League, but manager Gareth Southgate said not going further has left the squad deeply unsatisfied.
England's 6-5 penalty shoot-out win over Switzerland, after the match ended goalless after extra-time on Sunday, saw them finish Uefa's inaugural Nations League in third place.
It was one spot better than the 2018 World Cup, where they were beaten by Belgium in the bronze-medal game.
"None of us is satisfied with two semi-final appearances in successive years," said Southgate.
"We all wanted to move forward further.We needed to finish what's been a good year with the international team with a strong performance."
ACHIEVED MORE
The 48-year-old said it was a good thing that the players felt that they could have achieved more.
"We owed it to ourselves... The commitment is there," he added.
"They're not satisfied with where they're at and that, as a coach, gives you a lift."
Southgate also voiced his displeasure over Uefa's decision not to award England their bronze medals on the field after the game.
"We've had to go through another third/fourth-place play-off and have finally won one, and we don't even get the medals in front of our fans," Southgate said.
"It's nice to have some acknowledgement, but we'll be parking it to one side and looking forward."
- REUTERS
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