England will need to up their game if they want any chance of competing with Europe’s best.
Following a disappointing Euro 2016 in which England crashed out to European minnows Iceland in the round-of-16, FA Chief Executive, Martin Glenn, has thrown down the gauntlet for new manager, Sam Allardyce, stating the English Football Association’s ambition for future tournaments.
Speaking to the Daily Mail at the unveiling of the Euro 2020 official logo, Glenn made it clear that England had to do better at major tournaments and will need to be more ambitious moving forward. The FA boss promised that England “will turn up to every tournament as contenders… that has to be our expectation.”
“You can never say you’re going to win it, because everybody else wants to win it too,”
“But that is our ambition, to turn up to every tournament as a reasonable favourite and take it from there”
Glenn will be keen to see England progress under new manager, Allardyce. ‘Big Sam’ claimed victory in his first competitive match as England manager with a late Adam Lallana goal sparing his manager’s blushes, and putting England in a strong position in their World Cup Qualifying Group.
England manager Sam Allardyce and FA Chief Executive Martin Glenn during the launch
England Captain, Wayne Rooney, has already ruled himself out of Euro 2020, which will be staged across Europe in celebration of the competition’s 60th anniversary, leaving Allardyce with plenty to do to match the ambitions of the FA Chief Executive.
The FA have also stated their ambitions off the pitch, with Chairman Greg Clarke hoping great steps can be made to secure future tournaments in England, with a bid for the 2028 tournament under consideration.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Clarke revealed “I think it would be a big ask to get Euro 2024 when we have had the final here in 2020, but certainly later on in the decade [it is possible].
“We are reaching out to our friends in UEFA and across Europe in the other 53 nations; building relationships, building friends and building an ability to bid if we ever deem it is appropriate.”
England’s Adam Lallana shoots
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