It was well past midnight in Berlin when one England player after another emerged from the dressing room in the bowels of the Olympiastadion, their faces blank with silence. Some heads were bowed, some hoods were pulled up. Harry Kane walked by. Jude Bellingham followed. Phil Foden appeared, then Declan Rice.
The night grew long for England’s players. First, the dismal trudge to the podium where the European Championship trophy sat adorned in red and yellow ribbons — they glanced at it briefly before continuing on. Then, down staircases to the dressing room where tears fell. And now this: a winding path to the exit where a bus idled, ready to take them into the night, their dreams of glory shattered once again in a 2-1 defeat against Spain.
Many of the players were unwilling to speak. John Stones was one of the few who did, describing his feelings as “mental torture.” “You think, ‘Could I have done this? Could I have done that? What if this happened?'” the Manchester City defender mused, reflecting on Mikel Oyarzabal’s late goal. “You can play so many scenarios around in your head.”
But defeat had been looming. Moments of euphoria had punctuated England’s stumbling journey through the knockout stage, but it was the least convincing of their four major tournaments under Gareth Southgate in many ways. More time was spent balancing on the edge of calamity than basking in glory.
Stones passes the trophy, which now belongs to Spain (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
It was a peculiar campaign in many ways. Southgate frequently mentioned the “noise” that proved difficult to overcome, but in the end, only silence lingered. The only sound heard was the celebration from Spain’s dressing room nearby.
Stones expressed pride in everything England’s players had accomplished in Germany — “how we conducted ourselves, what we gave to everyone in terms of memories” — but ultimately acknowledged, “it’s just saddening.” Watching them depart, especially the younger players like Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer who hadn’t experienced disappointment of this magnitude before, emphasized that sentiment.
For Southgate, Kane, and others, the long solitary walk was all too familiar.
To tell the story of England’s summer, The Athletic spent the last month speaking with numerous individuals close to the team, many of whom chose to remain anonymous to preserve their relationships.
Five and a half weeks before the final, Kane and Southgate embarked on another walk. This time, they were at Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground, where England had gathered before their final pre-tournament warm-up match.
Kane was apprehensive. He and some of his teammates were in shock after Southgate, having already left Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford out of his pre-tournament squad, omitted Harry Maguire and Jack Grealish from the final group of 26.
Southgate had found it challenging to inform youngsters James Trafford, Jarrad Branthwaite, Jarell Quansah, and Curtis Jones that they had missed the cut, but they always held out hope for inclusion rather than expecting it. James Maddison was aware of the writing on the wall. Leaving out Maguire and Grealish would prove much more difficult.
Maguire faced a race against time, having missed the final weeks of Manchester United’s season due to a calf injury. Even after a minor setback, the defender believed he would be fit by England’s third group game. He was taken aback when Southgate informed him he was out of the final squad. Maguire insisted he would be fit, but Southgate deemed it too risky.
Grealish was equally surprised. He had made a positive impact from the bench in the friendly against Bosnia & Herzegovina three days earlier and hoped he would be involved in the final warm-up match against Iceland at Wembley. However, he was summoned by Southgate and informed that he had not made the cut.
Kane and Southgate spoke after a final squad selection that left many players shocked (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Maddison left the camp almost immediately. Maguire and Grealish lingered, still taken aback. Their sense of shock was shared by their teammates, with some visiting Grealish in his room to express disbelief. Rice, in a news conference, expressed being “gutted” that both Maddison and Grealish, “two of my best mates in the squad,” had been excluded.
Beyond personal sentiments, some players believed Grealish should have been included due to his quality and experience in big matches. Despite his limited playing time in the final weeks of the season at Manchester City, Grealish had started both legs of a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid in April. If Pep Guardiola trusted him in significant games, why was he suddenly surplus to Southgate’s requirements? Was it personal? Something else?
Grealish wished his teammates well before leaving the camp but was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with Southgate. He was shocked and deeply upset, creating a bittersweet feeling among some players as they received confirmation of their call-ups. For many, it was not a jovial camp that evening.
Grealish and Maddison were both left out of the final squad (Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Kane was keen to address the matter with Southgate, seeking to better comprehend the decision and relay the manager’s sentiments to the rest of the squad. During that walk, Southgate endeavored to explain his rationale.
The following evening, England succumbed to Iceland at Wembley in their final warm-up game. Boos erupted at full time from those who remained. England had managed only one shot on target all evening.
For the first time under Southgate, the atmosphere within and outside the squad felt far from optimal as they embarked on a major tournament.
No stone had been left unturned by the FA and the staff at their Blankenhain base in the former East Germany, just over 60 miles from the Czech Republic border.
The Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land boasted a wealth of amenities from a basketball court, padel court, and games room to spa pools, ice baths, relaxation pods, and cryotherapy chambers. Two 18-hole golf courses delighted Kane and other players, alongside golf and driving simulators. Each player’s bedroom featured home comforts, family photos, and letters from loved ones. Artwork of various players’ pets, some sporting England shirts, adorned the rooms.
Meals were expertly prepared by Danny Schwabe, the resort’s Michelin-starred chef. The aroma was reminiscent of home; FA officials had brought diffusers from St George’s Park, their English training base, to create a more homely atmosphere for the players.
In the past, England players complained about being confined to their rooms during tournaments. Under Southgate, they spent the majority of their time in communal areas, whether lounging by the pool (between volleyball and water polo matches) or gathering around the big screen to watch other matches, challenging each other in the games room, or enjoying the juice bar. Lewis Dunk and masseur Ben Mortlock engaged in building Lego kits provided by the FA, swiftly assembling the Hogwarts Castle set from the Harry Potter series.
This squad had a different dynamic: no Raheem Sterling, no Henderson, no Sterling, no Maguire, no Rashford, no Grealish.
Some of the personalities within the squad were well established: Kane, a quiet leader; Jordan Pickford, exuberant; Rice, as infectiously enthusiastic off the pitch as on it; Bellingham, exuding alpha male energy; Bukayo Saka, the universally loved “starboy.” Others emerged as the tournament progressed, including “Uncle” Marc Guehi, mature beyond his 24 years, and youngsters like Palmer and Mainoo.
Gallagher’s midfield inclusion was curtailed by Southgate (Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
A favorite pastime was “Werewolf,” from which the TV series “The Traitors” is adapted. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bellingham, fiercely competitive in everything they do, were the main participants — a reference they echoed when Bellingham scored against Serbia to kick off England’s campaign with a victory.
However, their performance that day in Gelsenkirchen was unconvincing. England failed to hit the ground running as Germany and Spain had. Following a dominant first half-hour, featuring Bellingham’s goal, they possessed just 44 percent of the possession and could manage only two more shots on target.
Another concern was Southgate’s decision to use Alexander-Arnold in an unfamiliar midfield role, which didn’t pan out. The balance was off. The manager expressed post-match worries about the players’ physical condition.
The subsequent 1-1 draw with Denmark in Frankfurt showcased a lack of fluency and cohesion once again. Alexander-Arnold was substituted early, this time just ten minutes into the second half. It appeared that Southgate had abandoned that experiment and was now willing to try Conor Gallagher.
The team’s energy levels were now a significant concern. Southgate spoke about the “limitations” in their ability to press due to the “physical profile of the team.” Kane shared that England’s players were “not sure how to put the pressure on and who’s supposed to be going” when the opposition held possession.
Subsequently, a report appeared in the London Times outlining the coaching staff’s concerns about the deficiencies in the team’s pressing game, specifically focusing on Kane. The report detailed conversations between Southgate’s coaching staff and Kane, instructing him that in pressing an opponent, he must reach them at top speed. The report claimed that “he moves at half-speed towards his opponent, slowing down as he gets there.”
Kane scored against Denmark but was later criticized (Vasile Mihai-Antonio/Getty Images)
The report, authored by David Walsh — who co-authored a book with Southgate two decades prior and was described as “the journalist who knows him best” — included a detailed critique of Kane’s pressing technique. While the accuracy of this criticism and its source remains uncertain, it presented a uniquely specific assessment.
Kane concluded the tournament with three goals, sharing the Golden Boot award, but he appeared uncomfortable throughout. Suggestions that his struggles stemmed from a back injury that truncated his season at Bayern Munich were prevalent, yet publicly, he maintained his fitness.
Challenges loomed, but the most