“Not A Chance”: England Soccer Manager Gareth Southgate Plays Down ‘All Or Nothing’-Style Series For National Team
Amazon’s All or Nothing: Manchester City has been the talk of the British soccer scene over the past couple of weeks. However, anyone hoping for a follow-up to focus on the English national team will be disappointed after manager Gareth Southgate ruled out letting documentary filmmakers in.
“Not a chance,” Southgate, whose England team restored an element of hope to English football after reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup this summer, said about an All or Nothing-style series.
“It’s very difficult especially in our environment, where, at a club, players are probably more comfortable in that environment where internationally it’s a little less comfortable at times because it’s just different from the day-to-day,” he said after naming his first World Cup England squad.
“Then to expect them to really relax and be themselves and not be inhibited in meetings and things is a really tough challenge. So if a camera crew is with you for a year I’m sure after a period of time it just becomes in the background but in an international environment where you are there for a week you are building trust all the time.
“It’s not something I would be encouraging from an England perspective,” he added.
However, Southgate admitted that he enjoyed the eight-part doc “as a piece of TV”. “Of course you are always looking for more tactical insight or what happens in training sessions and of course you had an insight into Pep [Guardiola]’s personality which I have seen a little bit having met him.”
All or Nothing: Manchester City launched on Amazon earlier this month. It is narrated by Sexy Beast star Ben Kingsley and features the title winning team. Produced by Spain’s Mediapro in association with Peter Berg’s Film 45 and IMG, the series follows All or Nothing docs on the Arizona Cardinals and The Los Angeles Rams.
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