Jude Bellingham lost it with Gareth Southgate in a heated moment during the Euro 2024 final, it has been claimed.
England fell to a 2-1 defeat against Spain in the European Championship final on Sunday evening.
The loss means Gareth Southgate’s men will now enter their 60th year without winning a major trophy, while they have become the first side to lose consecutive Euro finals.
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Spain were much the better side against England, to the extent that Real Madrid star Bellingham is said to have been visibly frustrated with manager Gareth Southgate during the encounter.
Indeed, ESPN’s Mark Ogden said: “Jude Bellingham was getting frustrated.
“I don’t know if it came across on camera but just before Harry 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’. Kane was the taken off.”
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Despite Bellingham’s apparent frustrations with Southgate, he defended his manager’s record at full-time and admitted the pair have a close personal relationship.
"For me, it's down to the manager and what the FA decide," Bellingham said. "I've got nothing but respect for Gareth giving me my debut in the squad, made me feel very at home.
"He is someone who, I think, in the last year or two as well, our relationship's kind of gone a little bit past football, where I feel like I can open up to him a lot and I think that speaks volumes of the kind of man he is as well.
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"Whatever happens with Gareth, I'll always respect him. If he stays, then I'll be even more determined to win something for him because he deserves it. Sometimes the numbers and the kind of statistics, the records don't lie, he's been our most successful manager since 1966.
"So whatever he decides, he will always have my respect and my love."
Topics: England, Spain, Gareth Southgate, Jude Bellingham, Euro 2024, Real Madrid, ESPN
Chris Byfield