The years have not erased this trauma.
It was a moment that marked the collective memory of English football fans, such as Zinédine Zidane's header against Italy in the 2006 World Cup final or Maxime Bossis' missed penalty in the 1982 World Cup semi-final against Germany. , will remain engraved in the unconsciousness of French supporters.
On June 26, 2006 in the full and boiling compound of Wembley, England saw their dreams of playing the final of their Euro at home fly away, after an unbearable penalty shoot-out against Germany.
Then 25 years old, Gareth Southgate is the unfortunate hero of this match. The one who was still only a new international of the “Three Lions” (it was his 9th selection out of a final total of 57) had taken up his responsibilities at the same time as the ball to take the 6th English penalty of the session. But his cross shot of the right, not sufficiently supported, had been repelled by Köpke, the German goalkeeper. Moments later, Andreas Möller, cheated on David Seaman and plunged a whole country into distress. Although consoled in the stadium locker room by his partners and then Prime Minister John Major, that failed shot will remain an indelible stain in Southgate's career.
#OnThisDay 26th June 1996
There was more penalty agony at the hands of the Germans for England as they missed out on the final of Euro '96.
After a 1-1 draw, Gareth Southgate saw his spot-kick saved as Germany prevailed in the semi-final at Wembley.
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- Football Memories (@ FootballOnThis1) June 26, 2021
An indelible scar
“You move around stadiums and the fans sing against you, which is torture,” he said in a mental health podcast in November 2020. And even if I wanted to fight against that and show that I could play inside, obviously it hurt, because playing for the national team also means representing all those people. A guilt that has long followed the former defender of Crystal Palace or Aston Villa. “I felt very strongly that I had let down those who had worked so hard by my side. When I was walking down the street, some guys would stick their heads out of their car window screaming insults. It was hard to take. "
Almost 25 years to the day later, the one who now wears the well-trimmed beard and the crisp three-piece coach's suit, finds the same opponent in the same venue - even though Wembley has since undergone a makeover - for an 8th final of the Euro awaited by a whole people.
A resurrection at the head of the selection
Appointed on an interim basis in 2016 the day after a failed Euro - England had been eliminated by Iceland in the round of 16 - Gareth Southgate has since established himself as the man of the resurrection of the selection, which he has greatly rejuvenated (25 years and 3 months on average) and calmed down. The extension of his lease has even already been announced. Under his orders, the English have, quite a symbol, put an end to the curse of penalties in the final phase - against Colombia in the round of 16 - at the 2018 World Cup. A competition where they reached the last four. The partners of Harry Kane, who are among the favorites for the European title, remain on a streak of nine games unbeaten.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 @ HKane will join @ DFB_Team's Manuel Neuer in wearing a rainbow captain's armband for tomorrow's game at @wembleystadium to mark the end of Pride month, as the #ThreeLions stand in allyship with LGBTQ + communities around the world.
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- England (@England) June 28, 2021
If his players - "too young" he smiles - do not remember the 1996 session, they know what their coach endured and the importance of this meeting against the Mannschaft. It is even a matter of national pride. England have not beaten Germany in a major tournament knockout match since the World Cup final ... in 1966. For the boss of the Three Lions selection, this match is also the opportunity to erase the traumatic memory of an evening in June 1996. "I hope we can do that for him, so that he has his personal revenge," said midfielder, Declan Rice . He would then definitely go from cursed player to idol of a country.
