Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, believes that England has a strong chance of winning Euro 2024 if they follow the approach his club used to achieve European success.
Pep Guardiola led Manchester City to their first Champions League title last season, breaking a string of near misses in his tenure. Now, he believes that Gareth Southgate can guide England to similar success in Euro 2024 by following City's path to continental glory.
England has experienced several painful setbacks in recent tournaments. They lost the Euro 2021 final to Italy on penalties at Wembley, fell to Croatia in the World Cup semi-final in 2018, and were defeated by France in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals.
Guardiola is confident that England is on the cusp of success and has the talent to go all the way. "The England national team, in the last World Cup and European Championship, made steps. They are really close. They lost a final, reached a semi-final. When you get this far every two years, it's only a matter of time before you succeed," he said.
He also noted that England's passionate football culture, which has sometimes placed undue pressure on the players, could become a driving force for victory. "People go crazy for the national team, proving how proud they are. As a football player, that's the best feeling—to have your country behind you, proud of what you're doing," Guardiola explained. "If they believe it, they can do it."
Guardiola has high hopes for City's Phil Foden, who could play a pivotal role for England in the upcoming tournament. The 23-year-old forward has had a stellar season, earning the Football Writers' Association Men's Player of the Year award. Guardiola sees Foden's future at City as a journey to becoming one of the club's legends.
"This club has a long history, built with many top-quality players," he said. "If Foden continues his career here and maintains this level, he could be one of the best in the club's history."
