Written by Winning an international soccer competition is brutal. Changing a culture is more challenging. Somehow, an unlikely leader has managed to accomplish the latter with a new vision based on clear values and patriotic identity. Today, he leads England against Italy in the final of Euro 2020. Winning the match will achieve the former.
Gareth Southgate represents the hero’s journey. He was a defender in the Premier League for fifteen years, playing for Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, and Middlesborough. He later managed Middlesborough.
Unfortunately, two failures marred his career. As a member of the England team in the Euro 1996, Southgate missed a penalty kick in the semifinal round that halted England’s most successful run at an international tournament since it won the World Cup in 1966. Then, as a manager, he oversaw Middlesborough’s relegation to the Championship in 2009.
Southgate then spent some time away from competitive football before reinventing his career as a manager for England in 2013. He first had a successful run with the Under-21 team before being promoted to the senior team in 2016. Two years later, he erased the considerable doubt over his hiring when his England squad advanced to the semifinals in the 2018 World Cup.
Now, English football is going through the hero’s journey itself. For years its fans looked backward. They took great pride in being the inventors of the sport and the glorious run the Three Lions took to win the 1966 World Cup. Their teams consistently disappointed their fans by underperforming in tournaments, and they ushered many coaches in and out through a revolving door. At the same time, the English Premier League thrived and became established as the top league in the world.
Rock Bottom hit England in 2016 when a corruption scandal unfolded, resulting in the departure of manager Sam Allardyce after only one game and the door opening for Southgate’s unlikely promotion. Allardyce, affectionately known as “Fat Sam” to his fans, could not have been a better representation of England’s past. His long-pass style, stern appearance, and high promise followed by disappointing results could not have made for a better caricature for English football.
In stark contrast, the revived Southgate has quickly restored hope for the Three Lions by getting his players and his fans to look forward and embracing a progressive vision while respecting the country’s history and place in the game. He wrote a remarkable letter to the English fans ahead of Euro 2020, stating, “I understand that on this island, we have a desire to protect our values and traditions — as we should — but that shouldn’t come at the expense of introspection and progress.”
Southgate believes his players must guide the public on equality, inclusivity, and racial injustice. He feels it is their duty. England players take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter before the start of each match. Team captain Harry Kane wore a rainbow armband in support of Pride month.
At the same time, he invoked England’s wartime spirit ahead of their match against Germany and gave credit to a “blitz spirit” for their 2-0 victory to advance to the quarterfinals. Southgate stated, “For an island our size, we’ve got an incredible influence on the world, and we’ve got to keep that in a positive way.”
Southgate’s bold leadership is refreshing to see in contrast to the divisiveness we see from our political leaders who fail to rise above globalist or nationalist movements to gain or remain in power. Leaders understand the importance of using the opportunities to promote change by establishing a new set of values. Instead, Southgate is promoting football as a way to heal his country following Brexit. And he’s doing it by encouraging his players to lead the way by connecting with the public and expressing themselves on issues they feel are essential.
Southgate’s letter expressed a very optimistic view of his players’ generation. He views them as humble, proud, and liberated in being their true selves. He observed a difference they have from prior generations, “I am confident that young kids of today will grow up baffled by old attitudes and ways of thinking.”
That line resonated with me. Born in the same year as England’s magical World Cup victory, I am in Southgate’s generation. In America, we viewed our exceptionalism as paramount during and after the Cold War without observing our society’s destruction around us. Our leaders encouraged us to embrace individualism, and we did. By doing so, we could avoid dealing with the inequalities and injustices put in place by leaders of prior generations.
The resulting “Us vs. Them” mindset is fueling the division we see today. I share Southgate’s optimism based on what I have observed watching my children grow up. Their generation is more informed, better connected, and aware of the hypocrisy that blinded my generation as we pursued materialistic gain. Leadership like Southgate’s will be necessary to unlock that potential, as he is doing with the England team. They are fighting for their purpose as they fight for their country.
Today, they will be up against a talented Italy squad that is going through a similar transformation under the guidance of Roberto Mancini. Mancini, who England fans know well from his time at Manchester City, has brought back an exciting attacking style to The Azzuri while also encouraging his players to connect with their fans.
It sets up to be a great match while representing a turning point in the sport. We have seen similar transformations in other sports over the past year. Athletes are taking stances and expressing themselves. I hope we see more visionaries like Gareth Southgate guide them to achieve victories we had accepted as not to be possible.
Thank you for writing that letter, Mr. Southgate. It’s going to be a great match. Win or lose, today will go down as a good day for England.