July 11th 2024.
Gareth Southgate and the England team have come so close to achieving a historic victory - winning Euro 2024. However, amidst the excitement, Lionesses star Beth Mead has spoken out against the social media claims that Southgate is the first England manager to reach two major international finals.
After a thrilling 2-1 win over the Netherlands on Wednesday, thanks to Ollie Watkins' dramatic last-minute goal, the Three Lions have secured a spot in the final. This marks the first time in history that England has reached consecutive finals in the European Championship. It's an amazing feat that has been celebrated by many on social media, with a lot of praise directed towards 53-year-old Southgate for leading the team to this stage.
But, as Mead rightly points out, Southgate is not the first England manager to achieve this. Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman accomplished this before, guiding the women's team to victory at Euro 2022 and then winning the Women's Finalissima against Brazil the following year.
Mead, who was the joint-top scorer at Euro 2022 and a standout performer for the Lionesses, was not pleased with Wiegman being overlooked in the social media posts about Southgate's achievement. In response to one post that claimed Southgate was the first to reach two major finals with England, Mead simply replied, "Hmm, beg to differ". The post was eventually deleted.
It's clear that Mead and the rest of the Lionesses are proud of Wiegman's accomplishments and don't want her to be overshadowed by Southgate's success. When asked about England's win over the Dutch, Wiegman, who was born and raised in the Netherlands, congratulated the team but also admitted that it was bittersweet for her. "Of course, I wish the very best for Gareth and the team, but it did hurt. My orange heart hurt!" she said during a press conference on Thursday.
Lionesses forward Lauren Hemp also shared her excitement about England's win, saying, "It was a great result for England and all of us girls were so excited and buzzing. Everyone was watching it together and we were all really excited." She also mentioned that the team has two important games coming up and it would be great to share the success with the men's team by getting some victories of their own.
The Lionesses are currently focusing on their upcoming Euro 2025 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland. With the support of their fans and the recent success of the men's team, they are determined to make their own mark in the world of football. And, as always, we'll be here to bring you all the latest news, exclusives, and analysis on Arsenal - your favorite team. Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on all things Arsenal.
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