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Barton believes things need to change.
Joey Barton

English football culture is 'rotten from top to bottom'

Barton says that individuals are not to blame for another early exit.

JOEY BARTON BELIEVES that the players and coaches are not to blame for England’s failures at international tournaments following the nation’s group-stage exit from the Under-21s European Championships.

Gareth Southgate’s England side were eliminated following a 3-1 defeat by Italy on Wednesday. The loss meant they finished bottom of the group in the Czech Republic, sparking renewed criticism of the state of English football.

But Barton, a free agent after being released by QPR, says that England will continue to under-perform at tournaments as a result of cultural problem.

“Everybody wants to blame it on something and it’s not a case of that,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “It’s not the players, it’s not the coaching staff, it’s not one thing, it’s an accumulation of many things.

The culture within English football is not changing – no St George’s Park, no massive spend, no change of coach, this isn’t going to change it. The culture is rotten from top to bottom. England’s national team will under-perform at every single tournament because of this reason and that filters down.”

Raheem Sterling, Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley, Phil Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were all eligible for the championships but not called up.

Barton added: “The FA should say to them: ‘If you don’t make yourself eligible for an Under-21s campaign if you’re selected, you won’t be considered by the national team for however many years.’

“We need to get in line, we need to get a passion restored in the badge of representing your country at any level.”

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