European Leagues

Inside Gareth Southgate’s England exit – the possible replacement

Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England manager came to an end on Tuesday morning.

At 11am BST, the FA confirmed the verdict, and the country was officially in the post-Southgate era. He was no longer ‘the one’.

A 329-word first-person statement was published across England’s website and social media channels, a clear sign that this decision was firmly led by Southgate, who wanted to depart by directly addressing the nation.

90min understands it was always likely Southgate would have walked away from the job if England didn’t win Euro 2024. The FA had hoped if the Three Lions were victorious in Berlin or performances across the tournament as a whole were promising, they would be able to convince the 53-year-old to stay on for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Alas, England limped to the Olympiastadion and Southgate made the call to stand down quickly after the loss to Spain.

Southgate is widely credited as the architect behind England’s club-style feel which ultimately led to their return to international prominence and contention. He was not sacked nor pressured to leave. It was a fast and collaborative decision, and the FA do not have a singular leading candidate in mind at the moment.

However, their shortlist is relatively short, with only four-to-five names under consideration at this moment. This is due to succession-planning, regardless of whether Southgate left now or later, being underway for over a year.

The odd-one-out among the names discussed is Mauricio Pochettino, who is the only foreign coach in the FA’s thinking. But sources have told 90min that this does not mean the Argentine is at a disadvantage – the best candidate for the job will be hired regardless of nationality.

Pochettino is open to an approach from the FA and has made no secret of his love of English football and living in the country.

Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino’s predecessor at Chelsea, Graham Potter, is another name on the FA’s list. He was highly regarded during his spell in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion, and it is believed any official judgement in regards to the England job would be framed around his job at the Amex Stadium, rather than his difficult spell at Stamford Bridge.

Potter has rejected various offers since leaving Chelsea in April 2023, and though he is open to international management, he could still turn to club football again if he is presented with the right offer.

The FA admired Southgate for his three-year stint in charge of England’s Under-21s, and that side’s current boss, Lee Carsley, is also a candidate. The FA want to set up pathways for coaches as well as players, and Carsley, who led the U21s to European Championship glory last summer and has worked with a sizeable portion of the senior squad, is expected to be involved in the process.

And then there is the most intriguing candidate – Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, who has long been touted as a potential Southgate successor.

Eddie Howe

90min understands Howe would consider taking the England job even though Newcastle will fight to keep him.

Newcastle are in a building process as they try to compete consistently with the Premier League’s big six. Yet changes behind the scenes at St James’ Park, although ambitious ones, could lead Howe to consider his options. He certainly hasn’t lost faith in the Magpies’ project, but there has been quite a bit of upheaval and the England job doesn’t come around too often.

Last week, it was announced that co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi would leave Newcastle. Right there, Howe lost two of his allies in the boardroom.

Paul Mitchell has also been appointed as the club’s replacement for sporting director Dan Ashworth, who was finally granted permission to leave for Manchester United earlier this month. Howe has huge respect for Mitchell, who could yet be a factor in him choosing to remain since the former Monaco sporting director is seen as a major coup. But what is clear is Dougie Freedman was Howe’s first choice for sporting director, as he was for many in the Newcastle hierarchy, but he chose to stay at Crystal Palace.

Newcastle want Howe to stay but they won’t deny him an interview if one is offered and would respect his decision.

If Howe is chosen, and we are a long way from that still, he will require compensation, but this won’t be a problem for the FA, who are more willing than clubs to pay managerial release clauses. Nevertheless, they have been handed a financial boost, as the amount quoted in Howe’s contract is now lower than the £8m sum they would have had to pay had Newcastle qualified for Europe.

There is also a dark-horse contender in Wolves’ Gary O’Neil, who has fans from within the England setup. Thomas Tuchel has also been linked with the vacancy as well, but FA sources have downplayed the possibility of him being a candidate.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Mbappe Hat-Trick Dismantles Man City As Real Madrid Hit Last 16

Real Madrid have booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League after a convincing 3-0 over Manchester City in the second leg of their play-off round tie at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the final aggregate score being 6-2.

A stunning comeback in Manchester last week ensured that Real Madrid only needed to avoid defeat in the second leg in order to be confirmed in the next round. However, Carlo Ancelotti’s side were never going to settle for this, and they extended their aggregate lead inside the opening four minutes in the Spanish capital. A long ball over the top from Raul Asencio went into the path of Kylian Mbappe, who lobbed over the onrushing Ederson and into the back of the net.

Just beyond the half hour mark, Mbappe got his and Real Madrid’s second of the evening. A wonderful team move ended with Rodrygo Goes playing in the French attacker, and he showed great feet to take the ball away from a couple of Man City defenders before blasting in from close range.

That goal put the tie beyond any doubt, but Real Madrid and Mbappe did not stop there. The 26-year-old would finish off for his second hat-trick of the season on 61 minutes after he curled the ball into the far corner to complete a sensational evening for him and his teammates.

However, it was not a perfect match for Ancelotti’s side as they conceded in the final minute after former Barcelona midfielder Nico Gonzalez scored from close range after Omar Marmoush’s free-kick came back off the crossbar.

The result means that Real Madrid are into the next round, and they will face either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 stage of the Champions League. The draw for that round is set to take place later this week.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

UCL: PSG Whitewash Brest To Set Up Clash With Liverpool or Barcelona

UCL: PSG Whitewash Brest To Stroll Into Last 16

Paris St-Germain roared into the last 16 of the Champions League with a thumping victory over Brest.

Luis Enrique’s side will now face Liverpool or Barcelona with the draw due to take place on Friday, 21 February at 11:00 GMT, in Nyon Switzerland.

Already leading 3-0 from the first leg of their knockout play-off, the hosts again exhibited their superiority over a fellow French side they have now defeated four times this season – scoring 18 times in the process.

Bradley Barcola extended their advantage with a neat near-post effort and his fellow winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tapped in PSG’s second of the evening before the break.

Portugal international Joao Neves also hit the crossbar for the hosts, before his compatriot and midfield partner Vitinha curled a low shot into the right corner from 18 yards just before the hour mark.

From there PSG moved through the gears.

Goncalo Ramos teed up fellow substitute Desire Doue for their fourth, the impressive Nuno Mendes slid in Achraf Hakimi’s teasing ball for a fifth, Ramos’ deft finish brought a sixth and teenager Senny Mayulu rounded off the scoring with four minutes left.

It ensured a miserable night in the French capital for Brest, who only threatened sporadically when Mathias Pereira Lage’s placed effort was cleared off the line by PSG captain Marquinhos and Pierre Lees-Melou hit the post with a curling effort.

BBC

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Ademola Lookman Trains Fully Ahead Of Champions League Clash

Atalanta has received a significant boost ahead of their upcoming Champions League clash against Club Brugge, with Nigerian international Ademola Lookman returning to full training on Monday, February 17, per Allnigeriasoccer.

Lookman had been sidelined due to a knee injury sustained just two days before a crucial match against Barcelona.

His recovery and return to group training are expected to enhance Atalanta’s attacking options as they prepare for the upcoming fixture.

Lookman’s return is also a positive development for Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle.

Chelle, who was appointed as the head coach of the Nigeria national football team in January 2025, is keen to have his key players in top form ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The Super Eagles are set to resume their qualifying campaign in March 2025, with matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Lookman’s return to fitness will be closely monitored by Chelle, as the winger’s pace and creativity could be instrumental in Nigeria’s upcoming fixtures.

Atalanta’s coach will however assess Lookman’s fitness to determine his potential involvement in the upcoming Champions League match against Brugge.

Given the importance of the fixture, Lookman’s inclusion could provide a significant advantage, as his attacking prowess has been a key asset for Atalanta this season.

For Atalanta supporters, Lookman’s recovery is great news, and the club’s prospects in the Champions League look much brighter with him back in the fold.

Atalanta is aiming to build on their strong performances this season, and Lookman’s return is crucial as they look to advance further in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

As the match day draws closer, both Lookman and Atalanta are hopeful that the winger can make an impact once again, and fans are excited to see the Nigerian back on the pitch.

With Lookman fully integrated into the squad once more, Atalanta’s attacking threat is renewed, and they are optimistic about their chances in the Champions League.

Allnigeriasoccer