EURO 2020: England yet to conquer ‘Everest’, says Southgate
Southgate emphasised the need for his players to refocus on Saturday’s quarterfinal against Ukraine after eliminating Germany with a 2-0 win at Wembley in the last-16.
Published : Jul 03, 2021 10:53 IST
England manager Gareth Southgate has urged his players to play without fear when they take on Ukraine in the European Championship quarterfinal on Saturday.
Southgate emphasised the need for his players to refocus after eliminating Germany with a 2-0 win at Wembley in the last-16, while warning his side to not to look too far ahead and underestimate its underdog opponents.
"We've achieved one challenge but that's not the Everest we set ourselves," Southgate said. "We want to push on."
READ: England's Saka picks up injury ahead of Ukraine clash
"It's another chance for the team to make history. We've moved on from Germany pretty quickly and it's not easy because you get all these lovely messages. But the mindset has got to be about Saturday. Not beyond Saturday."
"We're not complacent. We've got to stay composed, but not fearful. We've got to be on the front foot. We've got to take the next step forward."
England faces Ukraine at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, having played its first four games on home turf. The winner will take on either the Czech Republic or Denmark, who play earlier on Saturday, in the semifinal.
PREVIEW: EURO 2020 quarters: In-form England faces Ukraine at Stadio Olimpico