Entitled “Dear England” in reference to a letter sent by Southgate to English supporters in June 2021, just before the Euro, the play was written by James Graham and should be programmed from June at the National Theater in London.
The piece is inspired by the trajectory of Southgate since his missed penalty during the penalty shootout lost against Germany in the semi-finals of Euro 1996.
At the head of the national team since 2016, a few months after a disastrous European championship, the former defender changed the mentality of his selection and led them to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and then to the final. of the Euro in July 2021 at Wembley, beaten only by Italy on penalties.
“What makes (this story) Shakespearean is that it goes back to that moment, in 1996, when he felt the full weight of history, the pressure and the expectations when he missed his penalty “, explained James Graham to the BBC.
“Twenty-two years later, he was the one to break that penalty shoot-out curse on England, allowing them to win a penalty shoot-out at the World Cup for the first time (in the round of 16 against Colombia, editor’s note)”, he continued.
The piece also touches on the tougher times in Southgate’s tenure, including the racist backlash that followed Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka’s misfires in the fatal Euro 2021 final penalty shootout. England’s hopes of winning a first title in men’s competition since the 1966 World Cup.
“I think what has happened to the England men’s football team over the past six years has been nothing short of extraordinary,” continued the playwright, who hopes his play will reflect “the identity of a football team and of a country”.
© 2023 AFP