After the match early on Wednesday (Hanoi time), Southgate and the England national team walked towards the stands to greet the fans.
But in response, fans booed him and a few glasses of beer were thrown at him. Many extreme English fans even shouted "You suck" and "Go away."
However, Southgate patiently continued to applaud and thank the fans. The 0-0 result with Slovenia helped England end the group stage with five points and first place in Group C. This is the fourth consecutive major tournament Southgate has led England through the group stage, since he took charge of the team on Sept. 27, 2016.
Under the 53-year-old coach, the "Three Lions" reached the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020. Before that, England was continuously disappointed when they were eliminated from the group stage of the 2014 World Cup 2014 and then round of 16 of Euro 2016.
Southgate could not hide his disappointment when he saw the negative reaction of English fans at RheinEnergie Stadium, Cologne.
"I have never seen a team getting past the group stage and got treated like we were this time," Southgate said at the post-match press conference. However, he understands that reaction comes from the fans' great expectations and calls for fans to continue supporting the team at Euro 2024.
But Southgate also emphasized that England have improved during his time in charge. "Together, England have brought joy back over the past six years. We need to be careful to keep that joy intact," he added.
Southgate was criticized for his choice of players, especially when he put Trent Alexander-Arnold, a right-back to play as a midfielder in the first two matches. In this game, he replaced Alexander-Arnold with Conor Gallagher (number 16, L). But that small change did not make England play better.
Harry Kane and his teammates had 70% possession in the first half, but did not have many shots or create dangerous opportunities against Slovenia, a team that mostly focused on defense.
England's best chance in the first half came in the 20th minute when Phil Foden made a pass to Bukayo Saka (number 7) who easily finished past the Slovenia goalkeeper.
But the referee said Foden was offside before passing to Saka, who regretted that the goal was not recognized.
It was not until the second half, after Southgate brought on the field the young and eager players, Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer, that England's performance improved.
However, by the end of the match, England still could not make a breakthrough against Slovenia's disciplined defense line. After the 40th minute, Slovenia barely attacked, knowing that if they hold on to draw, they would definitely finish second or be one of the four third-placed teams with the best results.
For the first time in the tournament, England had more shots than their opponents, with 12, while Slovenia only had four.
Southgate and players encouraged each other after the match. England finished first in Group C and will play against a third-placed team, possibly from Group D or E.
Jude Bellingham pulled his shirt over his head in frustration. The 20-year-old star midfielder has just spent a sublime season at Real Madrid, scoring 23 goals and having 20 assists, helping the team win Champions League, La Liga and Spanish Super Cup. But since Bellingham joined England for Euro 2024, he has yet to recreate that impressive form, despite scoring in the opening match, a 1-0 win over Serbia.
Euro highlights: England 0-0 Slovenia
