Steve McClaren has been dismissed as manager along with his assistant Terry Venables following the 3-2 defeat against Croatia which ended England's hopes of reaching UEFA EURO 2008™.
At a meeting of the Football Association (FA) board this morning, it was decided to terminate both McClaren and Venables' contracts following a disastrous end to the campaign. England needed just a point against Croatia to qualify, but came unstuck on a heavy pitch at Wembley. FA chairman Geoff Thompson said: "Like every England fan, we are all bitterly disappointed that we have failed to qualify, and I know Steve feels that disappointment more than anyone."
Former Middlesbrough FC manager McClaren took over from Sven-Göran Eriksson after the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals with a mission to take England to next summer's competition in Austria and Switzerland. Thompson said: "Of course we have no divine right to play in major tournaments, but it is quite right that qualification is expected. I would like to thank Steve for the work he has done since taking on the position last summer. His commitment to the job could not be questioned and I wish him the best for the future."
FA chief executive Brian Barwick has been charged with searching for a new coach and will report back to the board with recommendations, although there is no deadline for when the next manager will be named. Thompson said: "The recruitment process for the new coach begins now and we will do everything to get the right man for the job." England finished third in Group E behind section winners Croatia and Russia, who took second place with a 1-0 win in Andorra in their final qualifier.
No comments:
Post a Comment